In today’s internet-driven world, data privacy and protection are more critical than ever. Every time a user submits a password, credit card number, or personal information through a website, there's a risk of interception by cybercriminals. This is where encryption comes into play.
Encryption is the core technology behind SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security), securing communication between your website and its visitors.
🔐 What is Encryption?
Encryption is a mathematical process that transforms readable data (plaintext) into an unreadable format (ciphertext) to prevent unauthorized access. Only someone with the correct decryption key can convert that encrypted data back into its original form.
For example, if you send a message like "MyPassword123" over an unsecured network, a hacker could intercept it. But if it's encrypted, it might look like "7a1h&9#ks82%," which is meaningless without the correct key.
This process is fundamental to SSL certificates, ensuring that data passed between a web browser and a server is kept private and secure.
🔢 Understanding Encryption Key Lengths (Bit Strengths)
Encryption uses keys to lock (encrypt) and unlock (decrypt) data. The "bit strength" of a key refers to how many binary digits (bits) are in the key. The higher the bit count, the stronger the encryption.
Here’s a comparison:
| Bit Length | Strength Description | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| 40-bit | Outdated & insecure | Deprecated in modern SSL |
| 56-bit | Weak, can be cracked easily | No longer recommended |
| 128-bit | Strong and widely supported | Standard for many SSL certs |
| 256-bit | Very strong (military-grade) | Used in high-security SSL/TLS |
Just like a longer password is harder to guess, a longer key has exponentially more possible combinations—making it harder for hackers to break.
- A 128-bit key has over 340 undecillion combinations.
- A 256-bit key has more combinations than there are atoms in the universe.
🤖 What Determines the Encryption Level?
When a user visits a website secured by SSL, the encryption strength of that session is not solely based on the SSL certificate. It depends on the combined capability of four components:
- Web Browser
Modern browsers (like Chrome, Firefox, Edge) support strong encryption, typically up to 256-bit. - SSL Certificate
The certificate itself must support high encryption. Most certificates issued today offer 128/256-bit encryption by default. - Web Server
The server must be configured to negotiate the highest encryption the client supports. Hosting providers like govaio.com ensure their servers support the latest TLS protocols and strong encryption suites. - Operating System
Older operating systems (like Windows XP) might not support newer, more secure protocols and encryption levels.
⚙️ How It Works in Practice
When a browser connects to a website with SSL, a process called the SSL/TLS handshake happens:
- The browser and server agree on the strongest encryption both support.
- The server sends its public key and SSL certificate.
- The browser verifies the certificate and uses the key to establish an encrypted session.
- All data exchanged is encrypted with the negotiated bit strength.
This handshake usually happens in milliseconds and is completely invisible to the user—but critical to their security.
✅ Encryption and cPanel Hosting with govaio.com
If you’re hosting your website using cPanel with govaio.com, managing encryption is simple:
- Install an SSL certificate from your cPanel dashboard.
- Govaio.com servers are pre-configured to support modern encryption standards and the latest TLS protocols.
- You can use the SSL/TLS status section in cPanel to view, manage, and auto-renew your certificates.
Govaio also supports Let's Encrypt, Premium SSL, and Wildcard SSL options, each supporting strong encryption by default.
🛡️ Why Strong Encryption Matters
- Data Protection: Keeps passwords, financial data, and personal info secure from hackers.
- Trust & Reputation: Visitors trust sites with the padlock and “https://” in the URL.
- Regulatory Compliance: Meets requirements like GDPR, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA.
- Search Engine Ranking: Google favors HTTPS sites in its ranking algorithm.
Encryption is the cornerstone of online security, and SSL certificates bring that protection to your website. Different encryption levels exist to provide flexibility and adapt to the evolving tech landscape, but using 128-bit or 256-bit encryption is now the standard for most modern websites.
When you host with govaio.com using cPanel, you’re automatically equipped with the infrastructure and tools needed to deploy high-level encryption effortlessly—helping you protect users, increase trust, and rank better on search engines.