<<< SSL Security Certificate Woes Part 2

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BUT there is of course a BUT. A CMS is essentially a computer program and like all other such programmes people regularly discover bugs and security weaknesses in them. In most reputable Content Management Systems such as WordPress or Joomla the developers issue fixes or “patches” when the problems become known. And in the admin dashboard for the CMS there are warnings that updates need applying and easy options to do this. HOWEVER many many people DO NOT update and patch their installations. I can’t find any stats for this but I would bet good money that at least 50% of WordPress sites are in need of updating and therefore insecure.

They are easy to spot if you know how. So easy that hackers have Internet Bots that crawl through the internet finding them. Then depending on the particular flaw, it is relatively easy to hack into the site and leave malicious code hidden to trap unwary visitors.

Of course having an SSL Certificate will do nothing to help with this problem and I would venture to suggest that it is this last problem and not the ones that the Certificate do fix that are the source of the increasing danger lying in wait on the Internet.

So if you are user and get that message the the site you are about to visit is insecure don’t panic use your common sense and remember that it is just as likely that a site using SSL is dangerous too.

If you run a website you are between a rock and a hard place. Not having an SSL Certificate will probably deter visitors from calling in on your pride and joy but buying one will cost you. ALSO remember that if you use a CMS YOU can keep YOUR visitors safe, very easily, by making sure you keep your site up to date.

Southcot Services Ltd customers can obtain an SSL certificate from us. Costs can be found here southcot.co.uk/Products/Hosting.php.