SSL certificates are an essential component of the data encryption process that make internet transactions secure. They are digital passports that provide authentication to protect the confidentiality and integrity of website communication with browsers. The SSL certificate's job is to initiate secure sessions with the user’s browser via the secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol. This secure connection cannot be established without the SSL certificate, which digitally connects company information to a cryptographic key. Any organization that engages in ecommerce must have an SSL certificate on its web server to ensure the safety of customer and company information, as well as the security of financial transactions.