What Is An SSL Certificate?

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SSL Stands for "Secure Sockets Layer"

It establishes a secure connection between your visitors and your website so the communication between them is encrypted (protected). Ie. you don’t wave your personal details around for everyone to see (which is basically what you’re doing when you communicate online without SSL). You need an SSL Certificate to transmit information securely. Varying levels of them are included with our annual service packages. 

SSL Validation Types

One of the things your SSL does is validate YOU! So that your clients know they are dealing with a legitimate business. There are three levels of identification you can choose from for your SSL Certificate.

Domain Validated

  • Recommended for blogs, personal, or internal non-client facing websites.
  • Confirms & displays the domain ownership. Typically for encryption-only (it doesn't validate a business's existence or details in any significant way).
  • May include warranty up to $10,000 to protect you from litigation in the case of compromised data due to an issue with the Certificate Authority.
  • May Include risk mitigation, audit trail, and anti-phishing.
  • May include complete transparency to build trust, green name in address bar, conversion increase, cart abandonment reduction

Organization Validated

  • Recommended for small business websites without e-commerce.
  • Confirms domain ownership, business registration and phone number. Typically for secure logins, passwords, and profiles.
  • May include warranty up to $2 million to protect you from litigation in the case of compromised data due to an issue with the Certificate Authority.
  • May include risk mitigation, audit trail, and anti-phishing.
  • Complete transparency to build trust, green name in address bar, conversion increase, cart abandonment reduction

Extended Validation

  • Recommended for e-commerce, financial, or national/global sites.
  • Confirms & displays the domain ownership, business registration and phone number, operational existence and physical address. Typically for credit card and financial data, brand reputation and optimal conversion.
  • May include warranty up to $10,000 to protect you from litigation in the case of compromised data due to an issue with the Certificate Authority.
  • May include risk mitigation, audit trail, and anti-phishing.
  • Complete transparency to build trust, green name in address bar, conversion increase, cart abandonment reduction.

SSL Certificate Types

Depending on how many domains you have that need to be secured, you may need one of these typcs of SSL Certificate.

Single Domains

Encrypt a single domain name. Available with all validation types.

Multi-Domain

Encrypts multiple webesites on a single certificate. Available with all validation types. Can be combined with wildcard.

Wildcard

Encrypts a domain and all of its subdomains (eg. domain.com and sub.domain.com). Only available with Domain and Organization validation types. Can be combined with multi-domain.

Good To Know

  • All SSL certificates include industry standard 256-bit encryption (SHA-2)
  • All SSL certificates verify domain control.
  • All SSL certificates ensure secure encryption between the browser (visitor) and server (your site).
  • All SSL certificates display HTTPS and a padlock next to your web address in the browser bar.
  • It's getting tougher to distinguish legitimate from illegitimate Domain-Validated (DV) sites.
  • Bizrate reports 69% of online shoppers specifically look for websites that display trust symbols.

Upgrade to Branded SSL

Most hosting services do come with free basic LetsEncrypt SSL, but it has various limitations (minimal authentication, safeguards, lifespans, and support) that make it suboptimal for business use. To start building higher trust with your clients and protect both them and yourself, proper SSL solutions with higher validation levels are recommended. 

See SSL Options

3 thoughts on “What Is An SSL Certificate?”

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