Today, we started the process of upgrading all websites with custom domains to full site SSL so that every page on your site is encrypted. You will be upgraded by the end of January at no additional charge and, beginning February 1st, all new custom domains will automatically have SSL enabled.
As long as your custom domain is properly configured, you don’t need to do anything! This upgrade will be seamless, and any links on the internet to the non-SSL pages will automatically redirect.
It was incredibly important to us that we not compromise — and instead enhance — our world-class DDoS protection in the process of providing SSL to everyone. It took us a while to sort this out and, in the end, I’m proud to say that we did both.
If you’re unfamiliar with all these acronyms, you are not alone! Here’s a brief explanation:
SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer — this is how the information from your website to your supporters’ browser gets encrypted so no one can spy on it. NationBuilder has always used SSL on pages where passwords or credit cards are transmitted, and now SSL will be used on all pages.
DDoS stands for Distributed Denial of Service — this is when many computers all of a sudden start sending very large amounts of traffic to your website trying to shut it down. This happens all the time, so NationBuilder is designed to thwart those attacks so that no one even notices.
Lea Endres
NationBuilder Co-Founder and CEO