Technical Explainers
Technical Explainers
How SSL Certificates Work
In one sentence: SSL encrypts the data travelling between your visitor’s browser and your server so nobody can intercept it.
The Process (Simplified)
- Visitor types your URL → browser contacts your server
- Server sends its SSL certificate (proof of identity)
- Browser verifies the certificate is valid and trusted
- Both agree on an encryption key (the “handshake”)
- All data is now encrypted — passwords, credit cards, forms are protected
Why It Matters for Your Business
- Google ranks HTTPS sites higher than HTTP sites
- Browsers show “Not Secure” warnings on HTTP sites — customers leave
- Required for any site that accepts payments or personal information
- Builds customer trust (padlock icon in address bar)
Every Rhixo hosting plan includes a free SSL certificate that installs and renews automatically. Zero configuration needed.
How a CDN (Content Delivery Network) Works
In one sentence: A CDN stores copies of your website on servers around the world so visitors load it from the nearest location instead of waiting for data to travel thousands of kilometres.
Without CDN vs With CDN
| Visitor Location | Without CDN (Sydney server) | With CDN (nearest edge) |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 5ms | 5ms |
| Melbourne | 12ms | 5ms |
| Singapore | 95ms | 8ms |
| London | 280ms | 12ms |
| New York | 210ms | 10ms |
CDN is included free on Business and Enterprise hosting plans.
How Backups Protect Your Business
In one sentence: Backups are automatic copies of your entire website saved at regular intervals, so if anything goes wrong you can restore to a previous working version in one click.
When You Need Backups
- A plugin update breaks your site (most common cause of issues)
- Your site gets hacked or infected with malware
- You accidentally delete important content
- A theme change goes wrong
- Your database becomes corrupted
Backup Frequency by Plan
| Plan | Frequency | Retention | Restore Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Weekly | 30 days | One-click (2-5 min) |
| Business | Daily | 30 days | One-click (2-5 min) |
| Enterprise | Hourly | 30 days | One-click (2-5 min) |
Website Security: Layers of Protection
In one sentence: Security is not one thing — it is multiple layers working together so that if one fails, others still protect you.
The Security Stack
| Layer | What It Does | Included? |
|---|---|---|
| DDoS Protection | Blocks flood attacks that try to overwhelm your server | All plans |
| WAF (Web Application Firewall) | Blocks malicious requests before they reach your site | All plans |
| Malware Scanning | Daily scans detect and alert on infected files | All plans |
| SSL/TLS Encryption | Encrypts all data in transit | All plans |
| Brute Force Protection | Blocks repeated login attempts | All plans |
| Two-Factor Authentication | Requires second verification to log in | Available (plugin) |