What is the purpose of an SSL certificate?

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate serves a crucial role in ensuring secure online communications. The primary purpose of an SSL certificate is to authenticate a website's identity, which helps users establish trust in the site they are visiting. When a website uses an SSL certificate, it encrypts the data transferred between the user's browser and the web server, thus protecting sensitive information such as login credentials, credit card numbers, and personal details from being intercepted by malicious parties.

By verifying the website's identity, SSL certificates confirm that users are communicating with the intended website and not a fraudulently created imitation. This is especially important for e-commerce sites and any platform where sensitive information is exchanged. Therefore, the focus on identity authentication makes it clear why this answer is the most appropriate in the context of the question regarding the purpose of an SSL certificate.