SSL certificate feature release

[Kyryl_Ning_Support]

Hi everyone!

Many of you have been waiting for us to launch the new SSL certificate feature - so here it is! The migration process will be performed in several stages. Currently the feature is available for 3.0 networks only.

The migration of the networks with *.ning.com domain name is automatic, and has already begun. Hopefully, by the end of the next week the process of mass implementation will be completed. The networks with custom domain names will soon follow.

As a second step later this year, we will focus on 2.0 networks. We are already working on transferring these networks to HTTPS protocol, and everyone willing to volunteer in the testing process is welcome to contact our Support team to sign up.

Here are a few things an SSL certificate will help you with:
- safeguard your website from hackers, phishing, eavesdropping, man-in-middle-attack, and sniffing attacks
- keep sensitive information that is sent across the Internet encrypted, so that only the target recipient can use it
- protect sensitive information, such as customer names, phone numbers, addresses, and credit card numbers
- receive ranking advantage in search engines placement, since Google has recently updated its algorithm and added HTTPS as a ranking signal
- become more secure and trustworthy to the customer who wants to deal with a verified company and keep their personal information private.

These will help you ensure that your network gets more trust, which will ultimately bring more users to your community.

Thank you for your feedback on the importance of having an SSL certificate, and your active comments about Ning platform improvement.

Kindest regards,
Ning team

[Jennifer Peterson]

Ye

[Naveen Jain]

When do my network get this?

culytics.com

Thanks

[Kyryl_Ning_Support]

Hi there!

Thanks for the question.

As right now we are at the end of the sprint our developers are finishing the tasks that have been included in it, I have informed our project manager that you wish to have SSL certificate implemented on your network and developers when they have a free time are checking your network and preparing everything necessary from our side. However, there isn't much free time they have so I hope that there would special task created in the next sprint for this purpose.

We would contact you via email if there is any information needed.

Best wishes,

Ning Team.

[J.Ayvar]

Great News! My network has a custom domain name and i hope to know more about this important Feature.

[Kyryl_Ning_Support]

Hi there!

Basically, SSL is the security technology that encrypts information that is going out of our servers, and in general, ensures that all information obtained by your browser hasn't been changed during the transition and is private. Also, what would be noticed by your users, when user is trying to log in or register on the site if the site doesn't have https the user most likely would see the warning messages that the site isn't secure or something like that if you have the https such message won't be shown to them so there would be no doubts from their side regarding the credibility of your network.

But please don't hurry to purchase SSL certificate. In the comment to Ceddy J (it's just below yours) I have explained when approximately we would be able to start implementation of SSL on networks with custom domains so, please read that comment as well if you are interested in encryption of your network.

Best wishes,

Ning Team.

[Ceddy J]

So in other words since I have duskspot.com as my domain name sit tight?

[Kyryl_Ning_Support]

Hi there!

Since you have the custom domain name, it means that we won't be able to implement our certificate on your network automatically or any other way. In order to obtain https encryption, it would be necessary to purchase the SSL certificate from the registrar of your custom domain name. and then contact us so we could implement it, however at this point such procedure would be done manually by our tech team so it could take some time.

Also please note that at the moment since the script described in the announcement haven't we finished the implementation of the https on *.ning.com domains it will be necessary to wait till it would be done, then we would post the details how https could be implemented on custom domain and what is the procedure, so please before it was done don't purchase SSL, as I know as usual it could be provided for one year so if you purchase it before we could start implementation you could simply lose several days of paid certification.

Best regards,

Ning Team.

[Ceddy J]

Thank you for the thorough breakdown!

[Alliance]

Thank you for this good work.

[Kyryl_Ning_Support]

Hi there!

Thanks for your support, we do apologize that it was necessary to wait for so long till this day, but we hope it worth all that waiting.

Sincerely yours,

The Ning Team.