SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. It is a security protocol that conveys your communications over the Internet in an encrypted form. SSL encoding is commonly employed by eCommerce websites to protect sensitive information such as credit card numbers or personal data. SSL certificates ensure that information is delivered to the server for which it was intended, without falling into the hands of third parties who could tamper with the data. You’ll recognize sites that have a SSL certificate by the URL https, rather than the unsecured http, plus the padlock icon that appears in your browser’s address bar.