The padlock icon in your browser bar means one specific thing: the connection between you and that server is encrypted. It doesn’t mean the site is trustworthy, safe, or even real — phishing sites have padlocks too.
What SSL/TLS actually does
- Encrypts data in transit — a password or card number you type can’t be read by anyone intercepting the connection
- Confirms you’re talking to the domain you think you are, not a different server pretending to be it
- Is required by browsers now — sites without it get an active “Not Secure” warning, which costs trust and search ranking
What it doesn’t do
- It doesn’t check whether the business behind the site is legitimate
- It doesn’t protect the site itself from being hacked — that’s server security, a separate job
- It doesn’t stop a scam site from having a padlock too — most do, these days
What we do
SSL certificates are included on every plan, set up and auto-renewed — one less thing to remember, and one less “your certificate is expiring” email to deal with. See what’s included.