The topic of this article is supported in its entirety by our customer support department.

If you would like to secure the communications between your web server/web applications and your viewer’s web browser, you will need to use an SSL certificate. Christian Web Host provides the option of using either a full featured 128-bit SSL security certificate, or a free Shared SSL certificate for short term use.

• Allows your viewers to see the ‘lock’ icon in their browser
• Allows you to keep the same URL (ie, https://www.yoursitedomain.com)
• Secures the communications between your server
• Guarantees to your viewers that your website is authentic

• The lock icon will still appear, and transactions will be encrypted
• The URL of your site will change to a longer url (ie, https://ssl.myhostcenter.com/yoursitedomain.com/)
• The viewer will have no guarantee that your website is authentic

You will want to use your own SSL certificate if you are running a shopping cart or major e-commerce venture; the Shared SSL certificate works well if you have a “contact us” form that you want to keep private or if your site is under development.

If you have any questions about which SSL certificate is right for your e-commerce venture, or the cost of using your own SSL certificate, please contact Christian Web Host’s Customer Support department.