{"id":45620,"date":"2024-05-15T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-15T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dhblog2.dream.press\/blog\/?p=45620"},"modified":"2026-08-26T20:20:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T03:20:41","slug":"really-simple-ssl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www-dev.dreamhost.com\/blog\/really-simple-ssl\/","title":{"rendered":"Really Simple SSL (Now Really Simple Security): WordPress Security The Easy Way"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Running a website can be a bit like hosting a haunted-house party: invite people to a kooky mansion, and no one shows up (poltergeists notwithstanding). To make it a success, you need to provide a safe, welcoming environment for your guests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s essentially the job of Really Simple Security, the plugin you probably still know by its old name, Really Simple SSL. It\u2019s a WordPress plugin that detects your SSL certificate (or generates a free one from Let\u2019s Encrypt) and redirects traffic to HTTPS. The paid Pro version adds a mixed content scanner and fixer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This super-popular WordPress plugin (3+ million active installations, per WordPress.org as of August 2026) still makes the HTTPS upgrade the easy part. And since its September 2024 rename to Really Simple Security with version 9.0, the free version bundles a full set of security tools on top: two-factor authentication, login protection, vulnerability alerts, and WordPress hardening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this quick guide, we’ll take a look at what Really Simple Security<\/a> can do, what changed with the rename, how to install the plugin, and some of the alternatives to consider. Let\u2019s get the party started!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is SSL, exactly?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\tDreamHost Glossary<\/span>\n\t<\/div>\n

SSL\/TLS<\/h3>\n

SSL stands for secure sockets layer. SSL is a protocol for maintaining a secure connection and protecting sensitive data to keep internet users safe during online transactions, login sequences, and more. Transport layer security (TLS) is the successor to SSL that\u2019s in place today and handles vulnerabilities even more effectively.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, is basically the secret handshake of the internet. It\u2019s a cryptographic protocol that ensures that hosting servers and web browsers can talk to each other without any uninvited creeps eavesdropping on the conversation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a more technical level, SSL works like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n