If you’re a WP site owner with big concerns about security, SSL can help you achieve the peace of mind that you desire. SSL can help protect data from malware and theft and can be particularly useful when sensitive data is being transmitted. WP has many vulnerabilities but third-party developers as well as the expert professionals at the company consistently work hard to protect its users.

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and produces a secure tunnel for data to travel through to keep it hidden from hackers and similar unscrupulous types. It can encrypt data before it is transmitted and decrypt it when it is received so it can be understood. SSL is the name for the secured protocol also known as HTTPS. It acts as a tunnel between servers. Whenever a secured tunnel is in use, you will see a lock icon and an https protocol which helps you find out whether the data being transmitted is protected.

SSL isn’t used everywhere as it is not always needed, but it is nearly always in place when sensitive data is being transmitted. However, more and more site owners including bloggers have been using SSL even when sensitive data isn’t an issue due to the fact that the search engines look at secure sites so favorably.

Read on to find out how to set up SSL when running a WordPress site.

You can either implement SSL manually or use a plugin.

Manual set-up for a new installation

With manual set-up, you need to ask your hosting provider to install an SSL certificate on the site. You then need to head to the Dashboard area and head to General Configuration under Settings. Update the WordPress Address and Site Address with the new https protocol and save your changes. The redirection will then be taken care of by WP and there will no longer be an HTTP version.

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