What you need to know about SSL
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is the standard security protocol for establishing an encrypted link (“https://www.abcode.com”) between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and secure.
Most publishers do not need to worry about being encrypted at all, so if you don’t already have an HTTPS domain, you likely don’t need one. It’s worth mentioning that there are some perks to going SSL, such a boost in Google’s Search Ranking algorithm. Usually only sites that are handling payment transactions, personal information and other secure data are SSL compliant.
Understanding the New Protocol Relative Tags from Sovrn
For publishers who have chosen to implement SSL across their site or on portions of their site, Sovrn is now offering an advertising solution that ensures end-to-end encryption with a high degree of accuracy.
The new Sovrn ad tags are protocol agnostic, meaning that they work regardless of whether a request is sent from an HTTP or HTTPS domain. For Sovrn publishers using existing Sovrn HTTP ad tags, these ad tags and ad delivery will continue to function without any change.
I have an SSL site, how do I get my new tags?
There are two easy ways to get protocol relative Sovrn ad tags for your SSL domains.
- All Sovrn ad tags are now protocol relative, so any tags you create from now on will see if requests are coming from HTTP or HTTPS and choose the right creative to serve.
- Update your existing tags to be protocol relative. Another approach is to strip the protocols out of your existing ad tags – simply find the “http” in your Sovrn ad tag and delete only the letters “http:”, leaving the “//” behind. Your new tag will look like this: <script type=”text/javascript” src=”//ap.lijit.com/www/delivery/fpi.js?z=352275&u=kerodriguez&width=160&height=600″></script>
What’s the benefit of these new ad tags to publishers already choosing encryption?
SSL publishers will benefit with additional sources of SSL compliant demand sources, increasing competition and revenue. Additionally, only demand sources able to honor SSL ad requests with compliant ad creatives will be called for HTTPS domains. All creative code will be scanned to ensure SSL compliance, as well as passbacks.
The new SSL ad delivery from Sovrn will not impact page latency or ad delivery speed but will instead honor page protocol and keep server side encryption precise.
Still have questions about new protocol agnostic/relative tags? As always, you can reach out to your Account Manager at any time or get help at sovrn.desk.com.
