SSL certificates are a necessary part of online security. They help keep your website and its users safe from hackers and identity thieves. When it comes time to choose an SSL certificate for your website, there are a few things you need to consider. In this blog post, we will discuss the different types of SSL certificates available and how to choose the right one for your business.
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what is SSL certificate?
An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that helps to create a secure connection between a website and a user’s web browser.
This secure connection ensures that all data exchanged between the two is private and cannot be intercepted by third parties. SSL certificates are typically issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA).
There are three types of SSL certificates: Domain Validation (DV), Organization Validation (OV), and Extended Validation (EV).
DV certificates are the simplest and quickest to obtain, as they only require the owner of the website to prove their ownership of the domain name.
OV and EV certificates require additional information about the organization, such as proof of business registration, before they can be issued.
How do I know if my site needs an SSL certificate?
If your website handles any sensitive information, such as credit card numbers or personal data, then you will need an SSL certificate.
Even if your website does not handle sensitive information, it is still a good idea to install an SSL certificate as it will help to build trust with your visitors and improve your search engine ranking.
How to choose right SSL Certificate?
The first step in choosing the right SSL certificate is to decide which type of certificate you need.
If you are running a small website with no sensitive information, a DV certificate should suffice. For larger businesses or those handling sensitive data, an OV or EV certificate may be more appropriate.
Once you have decided on the type of certificate you need, the next step is to choose a trusted Certificate Authority.
There are many different CAs to choose from, so it’s important to do some research and read reviews before making your decision. Once you have selected a CA, they will provide you with instructions on how to generate your certificate and install it on your server.
They actually invented the CA/B Forum-the governing body for all Certificate Authorities and Browsers with regard to SSL.
How much does an SSL certificate cost?
The cost of an SSL certificate varies depending on the type of certificate and the Certificate Authority you choose. DV certificates are typically very affordable, while OV and EV certificates can be more expensive.
Comodo SSL certificates come standard with 256-bit symmetric encryption strength and a 2048-bit RSA signature key.
These digital certificates are recognized by 99.9% of all web and mobile browsers and come backed by some of the most generous warranties in the industry. You won’t find a website that offers better prices and support than they do!
why should we choose paid SSL certificate?
Type of SSL Certificate
Free SSL certificates only come with a Domain Validation (DV) option. DV certificates are used only for providing a basic level of authentication.
Usually, they are used for platforms such as very small websites and blogs. Free SSL certificates don’t have the provision for Organization Validation (OV) and Extended Validation (EV) certificates.
Whereas the paid SSL certificates do come with OV & EV options, which are absolutely necessary for protecting business websites.
Level of Validation
When it comes to verifying a website owner’s business details before issuing a free certificate, CA does not validate anything apart from the identity of the website owner.
While in the case of paid SSL certificates, verification of the identity of the website owner is a must before issuing the certificate to the site owner and in the case of OV & EV certificates, in-depth verification of the business is carried out by the certificate authority (CA).
Validity Period
Free SSL certificates provided by popular CAs are issued for 30-90 days. As a result, the website proprietor must renew the certificate every 30-90 days. In the case of paid certificates, they can be issued for a period of 1-2 years.
Support
The certificate authorities (CAs) and resellers of paid certificates are committed to providing round the clock support to their customers. Those customers get to choose whichever type of support they want, be whether its chat, email or call.
On the other hand, free CA’s don’t assist their customers with such remarkable support because they can’t afford to. If you need help with an issue regarding free SSL, you’re going to have to sift through a bunch of old forum posts to find it.
Do I need more than one SSL certificate?
You may need multiple SSL certificates if you have multiple websites or subdomains that you wish to secure. For example, if you have a main website at example.com and a blog at blog.example.com, you would need two SSL certificates – one for each domain.
We can also use multi-name SSL certificate. Multi-name certificates can secure multiple domains and subdomains.