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Home > About Us > Web Hosting Services > Web Hosting Applications > Shared SSL

Shared SSL

All WestHost hosting services can use the WestHost Shared SSL certificate for custom scripts and securing sensitive data. The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a commonly used protocol for managing the security of a message transmission on the Internet. SSL uses a program layer located between the Internet's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Transport Control Protocol (TCP) layers. The "sockets" part of the term refers to the sockets method of passing data back and forth between a client and a server program in a network or between program layers in the same computer. SSL uses the public-and-private key encryption system from RSA.

With an SSL Web Server Certificate on your website, any information sent to your web server is encrypted or scrambled, making it impossible to intercept or steal. It also displays the identity of the website owner, and the name of the independent authority who verified that identity, such as Geotrust or RapidSSL.

The shared SSL certificate that we use is just as secure as a privately owned SSL certificate; the only difference is that the shared SSL certificate address would not be branded to your web site. If this is not important to you, using the shared SSL certificate is a very economical way to secure transmission of information on your web site.

Shared SSL can be used by accessing your site with the URL given in your service welcome letter. Contact Technical Support if you're not sure what that URL is or if you do not have your welcome letter.