The Internet can be dangerous to browse if you do not have security measures. Especially malicious websites and man-in-the-middle attacks are causing massive security issues for users. You can follow our Prima Secure website to know more about SSL Certificate.
For example, a report suggeststhat more than 10,000 organizations have been affected due to MITM attacks. Fortunately, an SSL certificate can help you secure websites from MITM, data spying activities.
An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that indicates to browsers and other clients (like email servers) that the website or server it is attached to is safe to connect with. When you visit a secure site, there happens a process of SSL handshake.
To get SSL certificate, once the site holder or developer asks for an SSL certificate, the CA then verifies the site’s identity and necessary business related documents and issues a certificate.
SSL helps to secure the communication between the server and website client so that hackers cannot access the data in transition. First, let us understand what SSL is and its types.
What is an SSL certificate?
What is an SSL certificate? This question pops up in layman’s mind. The answer is an SSL Certificate is a unique security protocol that confirms a website or server’s identity. When a user opens a website, the browser encrypts their connection to the site using secure cryptography technologies.
This prevents anyone from eavesdropping on the communication and stealing personal information exchanged between the visitor’s browser and the website.
SSL Certificate helps protect your online information from being stolen by hackers. By encrypting the connection between your computer and the website, you create a shield against malicious individuals trying to steal your data or passwords.
SSL Certificates are issued and managed by Certificate Authorities. A certificate can be used to confirm the identity of a website or server. For a certificate to work correctly on the website you are visiting and your server must have installed an SSL certification configuration properly. Now that we know what an SSL certificate is, let us understand the different types.
What are the different types of SSL certificates?
There are different types of SSL certificatesthat you can choose from as per your requirement. For example, you can select certificates based on number of domains or subdomains associated with the website.
Single Domain SSL Certificate
A single-domain SSL certificate is the most basic type of SSL certificate, and it guarantees that all traffic between your browser and one website is encrypted. This type is used for websites with only one domain name (for example, mywebsite.com). If you are using a single domain certificate, your website will be automatically assigned the www.mywebsite.com or mywebsite.com, and all traffic will be encrypted.
Wildcard SSL Certificate
A wildcard SSL certificate allows you to secure unlimited subdomains of a main domain. For example, *.mydomain.com will secure blog.mydomain.com, payment.mydomain.com. All subdomains will fall under a main domain so; there is no need to verify each subdomain. It simply allows you to secure multiple sub-domains with a single certificate. Wildcard SSL cert can be either domain validation or organization validation certificate. Wildcard does not fit with extended validation level certificate.
Multi-Domain SSL Certificate
A multi-domain SSL certificate provides additional protection for websites on different domains and subdomains. For example, if you have a web page hosted on www.example.com and want to protect content on devtest1.example.com, you would need a multi-domain certificate that can secure up to 100 domains/subdomains in a single certificate. Such type of SSL certs are compatible with domain validation, organization validation and extended validation certificate.
Validation levels of SSL certificate
You can also buy SSL certificate based on the type of validation. For example, if you own a domain, CA will validate it as per selected validation method and issue the certificate.
Domain Validation Certificate
These certificates verify that the organization or an individual is registered with the relevant domain name. The domain validation certificate process usually involves submitting details of the organization’s registration with ICANN (the body responsible for overseeing domain name registrations) and proof of ownership over any desired domains ( e.g., a copy of the organization’s deed or business license).
In short, the certificate authority will not check business identity or any business’ physical and legal status in case of domain validation certificate. The certificate authority will check only domain ownership for domain validation certificate.
Organization Validation Certificate
An Organization Validation Certificate (OV) is an SSL certificate issued to an organization by a certificate authority. Organizations that need an OV SSL certificate are the ones that want to secure web traffic for their customers and employees, such as banks, e-commerce sites, and government agencies.
Here, the validation involves more information than the domain validation type. Businesses must provide details like business registration data, location, proof of existence, legal status, and more.
Extended Validation Certificate
An Extended Validation Certificate (EV) is a type of SSL certificate that denotes that the CA has approved the certificate holder to access a higher level of security.
EV SSL certificatesare typically issued to high-value websites or servers, such as those belonging to banks and ecommerce sites, payment processors, financial institutions. EV SSL requires thorough verification of business registration, its legal status, phone number and other business details before the issuance of a certificate.
Conclusion
As internet usage increases, you need to improve security measures and ensure that your website visitors do not become a target of MITM attacks. However, you will find several cheap SSL certificate providers options for your website.
We suggest to go with low priced provider resellers like CheapSSLShop, which can bring huge discount to your desk for your selected SSL cert. Therefore, choosing the right CA and certificate type becomes crucial. So, analyze your requirements and options to select the suitable certificate option.
