You would have come across the term SSL while talking about website security and encryption. Even if you haven’t heard the term, you have come across websites that use SSL certificates. Well, if you see HTTPS on the URL bar when you open a website, it means the site is using an SSL certificate. In this article, we will talk about SSL certificates, the technology behind these certificates, trends, and statistics.
What is an SSL Certificate?
An SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Certificate is a digital certificate that verifies/authenticates the identity of a website. More importantly, an SSL certificate enables the HTTPS protocol, which encrypts the traffic between the web server and the visitor. This means a third party cannot access this data. A website receives an SSL certificate only after providing verifiable information, such as where it is located and essential affiliation.
Though SSL certificates have become almost universal these days, they were built for websites that handled important data such as payment information, login credentials, medical records, legal documents, and other data that can be traced back to an individual.
Since their inception, SSL certificates have been the backbone of website security. In the past two decades, we have seen different types of SSL certificates and the many improvements they bring to the table.
Types of SSL Certificates
Because websites need to deal with various types of data, different types of SSL certificates are available. If you think about it, a typical blog does not need the same level of security/verification as a banking website, right? So, these options allow websites to choose an SSL certificate that they can afford and work with.
Domain Validation (DV)
Domain Validation SSL certificates offer the basic level of authentication and encryption. This certificate will verify only the ownership of the domain. These are great for small sites or blogs.
Organization Validation (OV)
Organization Validation SSL certificate goes beyond domain names and offers organization-level validation. These are used mainly by organizations like government entities as well as businesses.
Extended Validation (EV)
Extended Validation SSL offers the best level of security and encryption and is designed for eCommerce and banking sites. A website needs to go through legal, operational, and physical checks to get this certificate.
Wildcard SSL
A Wildcard SSL certificate can be used by primary and secondary domains of a website. For instance, if your website is example.com, you can use one wildcard SSL certificate on example.com and blog.example.com.
Multi-Domain SSL
Some providers also offer multi-domain SSL certificates that organizations can purchase. Companies can use this certificate to authenticate multiple domains like example.com, example.org, example.net, etc.
Other instances, like internal testing and software authentication, may use various types of SSL certificates, such as Self-signed SSL and Code-Signing SSL.
SSL vs. TLS: The Evolution of Secure Connections
Though SSL quickly became the backbone of website security, threat actors quickly spotted issues with the digital certification system. In worst cases, these vulnerabilities allowed hackers to decrypt the information on its way between the user and the website, defeating the entire purpose of SSL.
Soon after, Transport Layer Security (TLS) was born and has been slowly replacing SSL. At the time of writing, SSL certificates have become (almost) obsolete, and TLS remains the current standard, thanks to better encryption, efficient handshakes, and privacy improvements.
TLS 1.3 is projected to be the future of website security for all intents and purposes. Now that you know the basics about SSL, TLS, and their role on the website security front, we will look at some important statistics and future-centric insights.
SSL Certificate Statistics
Let’s look at some interesting SSL certificate statistics, exploring aspects like adoption rates, encryption, and their challenges.
Adoption Rates and Market Growth
- Since their introduction, SSL certificates had a steady growth in adoption. However, it noticed a huge growth in the 2010s and 2020s. As of now, 80-85% of websites on the Internet use an SSL certificate.
- Though multiple factors contributed to this adoption, web browsers played an important role since browsers started labeling non-SSL (non-HTTPS) websites as Not Secure.
- Wildcard SSL/TLS certificates are becoming more popular in the corporate sector, as companies now want to expand their service catalog without compromising authority.
- By the end of 2025, 90% of websites on the World Wide Web are projected to have an SSL certificate, making it a necessity, not an addition.
Browser Encryption Statistics
- Most browsers, if not all, now consider SSL/TLS certificates necessary for website security. Browsers may show a Not Secure warning when users try to open a non-HTTPS website.
- The increasing popularization of TLS 1.3 is reflected in the records collected by browsers. It is seen that 60-70% of connections rely on TLS 1.3.
Phishing and Fraudulent HTTPS Websites
- SSL/TLS certificates are no absolute way to verify a site’s legitimacy. It is reported that over 70% of phishing websites use SSL/TLS certificates, relying on free or compromised options.
- As free Certificate Authorities have faced criticisms, many companies are now strengthening their domain authorship verification checks.
- Browsers now prefer universal identifiers instead of UI markers to verify whether a site is using SSL or TLS.
SSL Certificate Expiry Issues
- CAs have almost halved the average validity of SSL certificates, requiring websites and organizations to renew these certificates more frequently.
TLS/SSL Certificate Market
We shall now look at the growth of the TLS/SSL certificate market.
Market Size and Growth Projections
- The industry observes a balance of free and paid Certificate Authorities. While free CAs cater services to small and medium-scale businesses, paid CAs are targeting enterprise customers.
- In 2024, the premium SSL/TLS certificate market is valued at approximately $189.6 million. Projections indicate that the overall SSL certificate market could reach $424.41 million by 2031, with a CAGR of 12.20% from 2024 to 2031.
Leading Certificate Authorities (CAs) and Market Share
- Judging the number of certificates provided, Let’s Encrypt and Sectigo (Comodo CA) are the leaders of the SSL/TLS market.
- However, another company named DigiCert generates the highest amount of revenue from the SSL and TLS market. It does so by catering to enterprise-grade customers.
Geographical Distribution of SSL Certificates
- One common reason is the automation capabilities and ease of implementation, thanks to control panel software like cPanel.
- Alongside independent certificate authorities, government-backed authorities exist in countries like India and China.
- Sites browsed from countries like the United States, Canada, and Europe seem to have high adoption rates of SSL certificates, with the numbers exceeding 90%.
Impact of Browser and CA Policies
- Browsers have prioritized showing the exact details of certification instead of showing graphical UI elements for Enterprise Validation.
- Certificate Authorities for SSL certificates are now considering a cut-down of validity to promote the proactive model of renewal. These renewals are also pushing the adoption of automated methods.
- Security warnings by web browsers continue to impact the adoption of SSL certificates, but phishing sites are also using free SSL certificates to disguise themselves as legitimate ones.
Key Trends for 2025
Here are some trends we hope to see for SSL/TLS certificates and their use in 2025.
Shortening Certificate Lifespans
- The current standard validity for SSL/TLS certificates is now less than 398 days. Until 2020, the limit was 27 months. Now, there are talks about shortening the validity period to 90 days or less.
- It is expected that the maximum validity of an SSL/TLS certificate will become 180 days or less by 2026, and this decision is likely to be adopted by free and paid SSL certificate providers.
- In view of these changing policies, automated SSL certificate management is gaining momentum.
The Role of Automation in SSL Certificate Management
- In 2025, solutions for automating SSL certificate management and renewal will become more popular than ever, especially in the enterprise sector.
- PKI management solutions are in high demand by users of platforms like DigiCert and Entrust, and they are more widely used by those who purchase multi-domain and wildcard SSL certificates.
The Rise of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC)
- Post-quantum cryptography will remain a steady goal throughout 2025 as governments and other organizations are working to come up with security standards by 2026 or 2027.
- Companies have already started providing measures for making SSL/TSL systems future-proof via a variety of testing options.
Importance of SSL Certificates in 2025
Are SSL certificates still important in 2025? How do we see them in the future?
SEO Benefits of SSL Certificates
- Market and search engine results analysis shows that search engines like Google will provide better ranking for websites that use SSL/TLS certificates in 2025.
- SSL Certification remains one of the core factors when it comes to domain authority, and the number of HTTPS pages on Google SERPs is now close to 90%.
- Security warnings that non-HTTPS websites get from web browsers can cause bounce rates for many websites, causing ranking loss.
Building User Trust and Enhancing Conversion Rates
- As understood from the reaction to Not Secure warnings, more users are now concerned about the HTTPS tag when they are browsing the web. Thus, SSL/TLS continues to drive this sector.
- Though varied, the inclusion of SSL/TLS has helped eCommerce platforms to increase conversions as well as leads.
Compliance and Legal Requirements
- Policies such as GDPR and PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) are also increasing the adoption of SSL certificates, making them almost mandatory in 2025.
- Governmental organizations are also likely to impose fines on companies that do not employ proper encryption for data in transit, increasing the demand for SSL/TLS.
In summary, adhering to standard policy and industry trends for SSL/TLS remains important in 2025. This is the case, especially when a brand/website wants to build user trust.
The Future of SSL Certificates
Here are some insights on the future of SSL certificates and website security.
Potential Advances in SSL/TLS Technology
- As mentioned earlier, SSL/TLS technology continues to improve, thanks to policy changes and the use of post-quantum cryptography.
- In the future, SSL/TLS certificates will follow a hybrid structure where classical options like RSA will be used in sync with quantum-safe key exchanges.
- Though TLS 1.3 offers best-in-class protection and privacy compared to previous versions, the 2020s would see the emergence of TLS 1.4 mostly due to the threats that quantum computing presents.
The Role of AI in SSL Security
- Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are widely used in sync with SSL/TLS systems since they can detect and address threats more efficiently.
- AI also finds its use in PKI packages, which help enterprise customers automate the entire process of SSL/TLS certificates.
Conclusion
Though the earlier standards for SSL have become obsolete, TLS 1.3 and a potential TLS 1.4 can offer a much-needed stronghold for website security in 2025 and beyond. At the same time, Post-quantum cryptography and decentralized systems are also making their way into this system, thereby creating a better space for managing security and privacy. In short, SSL/TLS certificates are here to stay, but they will have to adapt to the world of quantum computing and AI-based awareness.
