what is ssl and how can i use to make my website secure?

Question

Can anyone tell me about SSL and how it can be used to secure a website?

Answer 1

SSL is an encryption method to send data securely over http. If you've seen a site with https:// at the beginning that means that it is using SSL. To use ssl to secure your own site, you need hosting that supports it (most do), you need to purchase an SSL certificate from a signing authority (Verisign is an example), and you need to write into your web application to switch to ssl when needed.

Answer 2

SSL doesn't secure your website- it merely encrypts the flow of information between the server and the browser. Despite SSL, you would still be vulnerable to Cross Site Scripting, non-authenticated requests etc...

Answer 3

See http://www.sslshopper.com/ssl-faq.html for a collection of FAQs that explain what SSL is and how you can use it to secure your site