What is a Wildcard SSL certificate?
Wildcard SSL certificates can cover one main domain name (www.domain.com) and an unlimited amount of subdomains (mail.domain.com, login.domain.com, test.domain.com, etc.).
What certificates offer www and non-www coverage?
GeoTrust and RapidSSL both offer coverage for www and non-www. As long as the certificate is generated with www as the common name, the non-www version will automatically be covered. This is not the case, however, for Symantec and Thawte certificates. You will to purchase separate certificates to cover both the www and non-www common name for either of those brands. Comodo certificates also automatically cover www and non-www.
Can I qualify for an EV certificate?
The main criteria for qualifier for an EV certificate would be that your business is an official company registered with a government authority. Also, if you’re a Sole Proprietor or a Partnership registered in the U.K., you cannot qualify for any EV SSL certificate.
How can I get a Green Address Bar for my website?
The only way to get the green address bar on your website is with an Extended Validation (EV) certificate. These are the only type of SSL certificate that come with the green address bar.
What is an Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificate?
EV stands for Extended Validation and is the most premium type of SSL certificate available. These certificates are identified on websites mainly by the green address bar, the most universally recognized symbol of trust on the web. EV certificates are becoming more and more commonplace in the industry, especially amongst ecommerce sites, as they are used by some of the most trusted sites in the world like Bank of America, Twitter, Paypal, and more. These certificates require that a company complete a thorough vetting process before being issued.
What is an Organization Validated (OV) SSL Certificate?
An Organization Validated (OV) SSL certificate requires that a business complete a light vetting process by the Certificate Authority before being issued. These certificates are a nice middle-ground between DV and EV certificates, as they aren’t as expensive as EV options but still offer more SSL and trust indications than basic DV options. These certificates typically take between 2-3 days to be issued.
What is a Domain Validated (DV) SSL Certificate?
A Domain Validated (DV) SSL certificate is a quick and easy way to secure a domain, as the Certificate Authority (CA) issuing the certificate only requires verification that the recipient actually owns the domain they wish to cover. This verification process can typically be completed in a matter of minutes. However, these certificates offer little in the way of SSL recognition, so they are recommended for websites where visitor trust is not of high importance and information like usernames, passwords, or credit card information is not required.
What is SSL?
SSL, which stands for Secure Sockets Layer, is a cyber-security protocol that digitally encrypts information sent from a browser to a server. SSL certificates are used to protect sensitive information like credit card numbers, usernames, passwords, email addresses, and more. A website with an SSL certificate is identified using a number of trust indicators, like “https” and the padlock icon in the browser bar, a site seal from a reputable Certificate Authority (CA), and a green bar that wraps around the URL on more premium certificates.