SSL Certificate stands for Security Sockets Layer, and its’ purpose is to authenticate a website’s identity and enable an encrypted connection between servers and browsers.
SSL Certificates help organizations to keep their online transactions secure and their visitor’s information safe by preventing criminals from reading or modifying the said data.
SSLs use encrypted algorithms to scramble transmitted data. In this way, potentially sensitive information such as names, addresses, credit card numbers, or other financial details stays safe while in transit. Also, SSLs communicate trust to users and stop attackers from creating fake versions of targeted sites.
SSLs have an expiration date and typically need to be renewed yearly. And to avoid inaccuracies, the renewal period cannot last longer than 27 months.
Types of SSL certificate
Understanding the different types of SSL is essential to deciding which SSL should run on your site.
Here are the six types of SSL Certificates
Extended Validation certificates (EV SSL)
The highest-ranking and most expensive type of SSL certificate. Often used for high-profile websites collecting data and involving online payments.
This certificate displays the padlock, HTTPS, name of the business, and country on the browser address bar.
Organization Validated certificates (OV SSL)
Similar assurance level to the EV SSL certificate. Also displays the website owner’s information in the address bar to distinguish it from malicious sites, and the second most expensive. Their primary purpose is to encrypt the user’s sensitive information during transactions.
OV SSL certificates are a must for commercial or public-facing websites.
Domain Validated certificates (DV SSL)
Provide lower assurance and minimal encryption and is best suitable for blogs or informational websites that don’t collect data or process payments.
The browser address bar only displays HTTPS and a padlock with no business name.
Wildcard SSL certificates
Keep your base domain and unlimited sub-domains secure on a single certificate.
For example:
- payments.yourdomain.com
- login.yourdomain.com
- mail.yourdomain.com
- download.yourdomain.com
- anything.yourdomain.com
Multi-Domain SSL Certificate (MDC)
Secures several domains and or sub-domain names. And that includes the combination of unique domains and sub-domains with different TLDs (Top-Level Domains), except for local/internal ones.
For example:
- www.example.com
- example.org
- mail.this-domain.net
- example.anything.com.au
- checkout.example.com
- secure.example.org
However, Multi-Domain certificates do not support sub-domains by default
Unified Communications Certificate (UCC)
Also considered Multi-Domain SSL certificates and allow multiple domain names to be secured on a single certificate.
UCCs can be used as EV SSL certificates to give website visitors the highest assurance through the green address bar.
They display a padlock on a browser and are organizationally validated