What is an SSL and How Does an SSL Work?

Ever noticed a padlock or “https://” in a website’s address? That’s a sign the site is secure, thanks to an SSL certificate. It protects your personal information—like passwords and payment details—when you browse or shop online.

In this article, you’ll learn what SSL/TLS is, how it works, why it matters, and how to set it up easily on your Cloudways-hosted site.

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When visitors land on your website, they expect it to be safe—especially if they’re sharing personal or payment details.

SSL/TLS creates a secure, encrypted connection between your website and their browser, so no one can intercept the data.

Whether you run a blog, business site, eCommerce, or online store, having an SSL certificate builds trust, security, credibility, and compliance.

In fact, many browsers warn users when a site doesn’t have one—driving them away before they even explore your content.

HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is how websites send and receive information—like text, images, or videos. But by default, it doesn’t encrypt that data, which means anyone on the same network can potentially see or steal it. That’s why browsers often show warnings for sites using only http://.

HTTPS adds a layer of security. The “S” stands for Secure, and it means the site uses SSL/TLS encryption (Transport Layer Security) to protect your data as it travels between your browser and the website. When you visit a site with https://, your connection is encrypted—and you’ll usually see a padlock icon in the browser address bar as a sign it’s safe.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and its modern version TLS (Transport Layer Security) are security protocols that encrypt the data shared between your website and its visitors.

Originally developed in the 1990s, SSL/TLS ensures privacy, authentication, and data integrity during online communication.

According to Cloudflare, SSL was the first widely used security protocol for the internet, and TLS is now the standard.

Without SSL/TLS, websites send data in plain text—making it easier for hackers to intercept it through what's known as a Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attack.

But with SSL/TLS in place, your site creates an encrypted connection instantly, helping protect sensitive details like passwords and credit card numbers from being exposed.

When you visit a secure website, your browser and the web server go through a quick process called the SSL/TLS handshake. This process creates a secure, encrypted connection—so any information you share stays private and safe.

Here’s a simple breakdown of how it works:

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) was first developed in the early 1990s by Netscape to make internet communication secure. However, early versions like SSL 1.0 and SSL 2.0 had major security flaws. Even SSL 3.0, released later, was eventually deprecated due to known vulnerabilities like the POODLE attack.

To address these issues, a more secure protocol called TLS (Transport Layer Security) was introduced. While people still commonly refer to “SSL certificates,” nearly all secure websites today actually use TLS.

Here’s a quick timeline:

TLS is faster, more secure, and widely supported across modern browsers and servers—including all Cloudways servers.

Yes—Cloudways fully supports all TLS versions, including TLS 1.3 on all servers and through the Cloudways CDN.

TLS 1.3 is the most secure and efficient version of the protocol, offering better performance and stronger protection than earlier versions. If you're hosting your website on Cloudways, you're already covered.

There's no need to modify server files—you can manage and update your TLS versions and settings easily through the Cloudways Platform with just a few clicks.

This helps ensure your visitors enjoy a fast, secure, and trusted browsing experience right from the start.

SSL/TLS isn’t just for banks or eCommerce sites—it’s essential for any website that wants to keep visitor data safe, build trust, and appear reliable in modern browsers.

Here’s why SSL/TLS matters:

When your site uses SSL/TLS, visitors see a padlock in their browser—making them more likely to trust you, engage with your content, or make purchases.

Great question! Even though TLS (Transport Layer Security) is the modern standard, most people—including developers, providers, and browsers—still refer to certificates as “SSL certificates.”

That’s because SSL was the original term and it stuck around, even after TLS replaced it. Today, when you see “SSL certificate,” it almost always means a TLS certificate.

Certificate providers like Let’s Encrypt, DigiCert, Namecheap, and Comodo often label them as SSL/TLS certificates—but rest assured, they use TLS encryption behind the scenes.

Using HTTPS doesn’t just secure your website—it can also help improve your search engine rankings. Google officially announced in 2014 that HTTPS is a ranking signal, meaning secure websites may get a boost over non-secure ones in search results.

SSL/TLS also improves the accuracy of referral data in tools like Google Analytics. If someone visits your site from an HTTPS page but your site runs on HTTP, that traffic is often misclassified as “Direct.” But if both sites use HTTPS, referral sources are tracked correctly—giving you more reliable insights.

In short: switching to HTTPS helps with security, visibility, and data accuracy.

SSL/TLS works behind the scenes, but most browsers give visible signs when a website is secure.

Here’s what to look for:

These signs indicate that your connection is encrypted. However, it’s always good to double-check—sometimes a site might show a padlock but still use an expired or invalid certificate.

Below, you’ll see how different browsers display SSL/TLS-secured websites.

Google Chrome displays a padlock to show the website is secured with SSL/TLS.

Mozilla Firefox indicates a secure SSL/TLS connection with a padlock in the address bar.

Apple Safari shows a padlock icon to confirm the website is protected by SSL/TLS.

Microsoft Edge uses a padlock symbol to highlight a secure SSL/TLS connection.

Opera also shows a padlock when a website is secured with SSL/TLS.

Cloudways gives you the flexibility to choose the SSL/TLS certificate that best fits your website’s needs. You can easily install either:

Both options are supported directly through the Cloudways Platform, with no need for manual configuration.

Click here for step-by-step instructions on installing your SSL/TLS certificate.

That’s it! We hope this article was helpful.

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