With the cyber crimes increasing at supersonic speed, it becomes crucial to be aware of different types of SSL Certificates available out there and which one is suitable for your company.
Without an SSL Certificate, your client’s data is transmitted over the wire unencrypted. Is that an acceptable risk?
Well, I don’t think so.
Surprisingly, there are still a lot of giant websites that are still not using Secured Socket Layer Certificates according to a recent Google report.
Types of SSL Certificates
- Extended Validation Certificates (EV SSL)
- Organization Validated Certificates (OV SSL)
- Domain Validated Certificates (DV SSL)
- Wildcard SSL Certificate
- Multi-Domain SSL Certificate (MDC)
- Unified Communications Certificate (UCC)
What are SSL Certificates & Why You Need Them?
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Certificates are small data files that digitally bind a cryptographic key to an organization’s details.
SSL Certificates Secure:
- User Logins
- Data transfers
- Credit card transactions
- Social media sites browsing history and searches
- User’s personal information like address and contact number
Google is forcing websites to have SSL Certificates since their top priority is security. Therefore, if you have an updated SSL Certificate, they will simply love you.
Useful Abbreviations
Before we move on, here are several abbreviation we will be using.
- SSL: Secured Sockets Layer
- CA: Certificate Authority
- DV: Domain Validation
- OV: Organization Validation
- EV: Extended Validation
- CSR: Certificate Signing Request
Different Types of SSL Certificates
Now that you know not having an SSL Certificate could be disastrous, there are different types of SSL Certificates available:
They can be grouped based on:
#1 Types of SSL Certificates by Validation Level
Certificate authorities issue certificates to organizations only after their identities have been validated.
Must Read: How to Install SSL Certificates
Motive: To ensure we know who we are connected to when we send private information.
There are 3 types of SL certificates by Validation Level:
#1.1 Domain Validation
> Level of Validation
Lowest
> How it is verified
The Certificate Authority or CA simply verifies that the organization has control over the concerned domain.
> Mode of verification
Usually done via email. For verification, you either make changes to a DNS record or upload a file supplied by the CA to the domain. By demonstrating control over the domain, they will be issued a certificate.
> Time taken
Few minutes to few hours.
> Validation expense
Minimal since there is no human involvement.
> Indication
A browser with a secured HTTPS connection.
#1.2 Organization Validated SSL Certificates
> Level of Validation
Medium
> How it is verified
The CA investigates the organization making the application though not very deeply. They will contact the organization to make sure it is authenticated.
> Mode of verification
The Certificate Authority validates the ownership of the domain along with organization information included in the certificate like name, city, and country.
> Time taken
Few days.
> Validation expense
More than domain validation since humans are involved.
> Indication
Display company information in certificate details.
#1.3 Extended Validation Certificate
> Level of Validation
Most strict level.
> How it is verified
The CA validates the ownership, organization information, physical location, and legal existence of the company. It also validates if the organization is aware of the SSL certificate request and then approves it.
> Mode of verification
Documents are required to certify the company identity along with lots of checks.
You May Also Like: SSL Certificate Cost, Features & Brands
> Time taken
Few weeks.
> Validation expense
Most expensive due to high human involvements.
> Indication
A green address bar with the company’s name.
#2 Types of SSL Certificates by Number of Domains
On the basis of the number of domains and subdomains, there are 3 certificates:
#2.1 Single-name SSL Certificates
Protects a single subdomain/hostname.
Example: If you purchase single-name SSL Certificate for www.xyz.com, it doesn’t mean you can secure mail.xyz.com.
#2.2 Wildcard SSL Certificates
Protects an unlimited number of subdomains for a single domain.
Example: If you purchase a certificate for www.xyz.com, it will secure career.xyz.com, help.xyz.com, etc.
It will work on any subdomain. However, it will not secure abc.pro.xyz.com.
#2.3 Unified SSL Certificates/Multi-Domain SSL Certificates/SAN Certificates
It allows customers to protect up to 100 domains with the help of the same certificate.
They are specially designed to secure Microsoft Exchange and Office Communications environments.
It protects different domains with a single certificate with the help of the SAN extension.
#3 Self-Signed Certificates
Other than these private CA issued SSL certificates, there is an option of self-signed certificates too.
What is a Self-Signed Certificate?
A certificate that will be signed by the person creating it, for example, website owner rather than a trusted authority.
Although these certificates offer the same level of encryption, you must not use them when you have anonymous visitors connecting to your website.
Why?
- This is because a visitor’s connection could be hijacked.
- The certificate cannot be revoked as a trusted certificate can.
Since an attacker can create a self-signed certificate, I don’t recommend it for public use.
It is a viable choice only for private use. It is better to spend a few bucks and go for a reliable SSL Certificate provider.
How Can I Evaluate My Needs Against Different Types of SSL Certificates?
SSL Certificates are always a good investment, however, by analyzing your business needs you can make a better choice.
Some of the questions you need to ask yourself before buying one are:
- How many domains do I need to secure?
- What type of website do I need to secure?
- How important you think your customer’s trust is?
After you have decided on the basics, you need to set a budget. (Well, the most important thing)
Since the requirements of certifications vary from instant insurance, cheap price (DV Certificates), to highly pricey and strict business validation (EV SSL Certificates); you must decide considering your business location, documents, budget, etc.
Don’t compromise and make a rational decision when it comes to complete business security solution.
Note: You can read more about encryption service reviews and make a decision about which encryption service to use for your business.
How to Choose an SSL Certificate Provider?
Some of the factors that impact the choice of a client are:
- Brand
- Validation Type
- Issue Time
- Domains Included
- Server Licensing
- Installation Checker
- Supported Browsers
- Compatibility with mobiles
- Support for Scan
- Site Seal
- Trust Level
- Warranty
How Can I Install an SSL Certificate?
- Host with a dedicated IP address
- Buy a certificate
- Activate the certificate
- Install the certificate
- Update your site to using HTTPS
Analyze which SSL Certificate types your company needs right now.
Still confused? Get in touch with our experts.
Leave your Queries in Comments.
20 thoughts on “Types of SSL Certificates for a Secure Business Website”
Greate post. Thanks for sharing that valuable information with us.
I really enjoy the article post. Really looking forward to reading more. Really Great.
I am really loving the blog of your web site. I would like to thank you for the efforts you have put in writing this site. In fact your creative writing skills has inspired me to get my own website..
Hi There, I have made a website with an builder. It kept showing unsecure. By using cloudflare I now I have the mixed content warning, so it is still not fully secure. I haven’t really got access to a server on this website builder. Or at least I don’t think so and there isn’t anywhere I can copy in a .htaccess code. What do I do?
Choosing an SSL certificate can be complicated, since not all providers offer all the same certificate types. To simplify the process, you can refer to the table below, which outlines the certificate offerings from six of the major SSL providers. If you plan to stick with the same SSL provider for more than one year, you can often receive a substantial discount if you pay for two or more years upfront.
This Is really nice Article.
I recently came across a scenario where when we do SSL scan or SSL test for sts.domain.com it generates reports that say we are using expired wildcard certificate like *.domain.com. I verified all ADFS server and we don’t use any wildcard cert. We no longer planning to use.
I just wonder why wildcard cert comes up during SSL Scan.
An outstanding share! I’ve just forwarded this onto
a colleague who was conducting a little research on this.
And he in fact ordered me dinner simply because I discovered it for
him… lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thank YOU for the meal!!
But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this topic here on your site.
Thanks.. Great Article & Fine Easy understandable Content 🙂
Hi Sahil,
Great view into the world of SSL. You never mention letsencrypt, is there a reason to? LE is used worldwide by a lot of hosting companies.
Hi Thomas
I totally agree with your point. In fact, we’ve solely dedicated an article on Let’s Encrypt: https://serverguy.com/security/how-to-install-ssl-certificate-guide/.
However, here, I’m talking about the types of SSL certificates based on levels of validation and number of domains secured.
Hello Serverguy Team,
I want to Purchase SSL Certificate for my Examzip . Can you please suggest my best coupon to be applied for cheap rates SSL Purchase..
Thanks in Advance.
Hi,
We’ve made an SSL wizard. You can choose the SSL for your site as per your requirements here https://serverguy.com/ssl-certificates/#choose-ssl
I want to use ssl certificate for my website jobwiki.in can u suggest me which option is better for me
Hi Raaz,
We’ve made a SSL wizard, from there You can choose SSL for your site as per your requirements here https://serverguy.com/ssl-certificates/#choose-ssl
Hey, I’m going to build a multivendor e-commerce website, pls suggest some affordable yet efficient and secured license. Thanks, BTW, it’s very informative article.
Hi Nitesh,
You may go for OV or EV SSL. If documentation takes time, you may start with a normal DV SSL (which is as low as $18/year) and later upgrade to an EV SSL.
And thanks a lot! 🙂
I want to use SSL for my website, please session me with one best for me
Hi Rajesh,
You can choose SSL for your site from our SSL wizard here https://serverguy.com/ssl-certificates/#choose-ssl
Best information. All in one. Even a beginner can understand. What is an SSL. Type of SSL. How SSL protects a session.
Selection of SSL… Other than that a big heart to share your knowledge.
Very Nice and Informative Article.