The SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol is accessed through an SSL Certificate, a data file that connects an organization to a cryptographic key to allow secure connections with the organization’s web domain. This article discusses several ways of differentiating types of SSL Certificates.
About SSL Certificates
When a browser reaches a website and the user wants, for example, to conduct a financial transaction or some other transaction that should be secure, the browser examines the site’s SSL certificate to determine its authenticity and check the secret keys that have been computed. Communication is then carried out in a secure, encrypted form. There are a number of different types of SSL certificates for different purposes.
Free, Shared, Dedicated SSL Certificates
One way of differentiating types of SSL Certificates is based on the same overall scheme as differentiating types of web hosting: free, shared, and dedicated.
Free SSL Certificates
Free SSL certificates are offered in several different circumstances.
- Some sites provide free SSL certificates as part of a web hosting package in which you pay for the web hosting and the certificate is “free.”
- Some sites provide free SSL certificates for a year, and then charge for them after that.
- GoDaddy has a special program in which it offers a free year of SSL certificates to qualified Open Source projects that must be a validated, listed Open Source project to qualify.
Shared SSL Certificates
Shared SSL certificates, which may be less secure than dedicated SSL Certificates, depending on how they work, so you should make sure you know the type of SSL certificate is in place before using one. If you do choose to use a shared SSL certificate, you should find out if the web host has a seamless way to move to your own dedicated SSL certificate should you ever choose to do so. Here are some typical examples:
- With a “wild card certificate,” each user must operate on a subdomain of the webhost’s user name, and thus be covered by the same SSL certificate. A subdomain is listed before the main domain in the URL.
- With a standard SSL certificate with a defined user directory path, each customer has a directory on the webhost’s site where secured pages are uploaded.
- With a standard SSL certificate provided through the webhost’s shopping cart, the SSL certificate is one of the first two types, but only available from the shopping cart, not every page on the website.
Dedicated SSL Certificates
A dedicated SSL Certificate, often provided at no charge with dedicated hosting, is linked to the customer’s domain name, rather than the webhost’s domain name. This provides an added level of security for your website visitors, showing them that your website has been validated by a third-party and that your are a legitimate business organization. With a dedicated SSL certificate you are the owner of the certificate and should you choose to change web host providers, the dedicated SSL certificate will move with your website.
Types of SSL Certificate by Validation Method
In this security-focused typing, there are three different kinds of SSL Certificates:
Organizationally Validated
Organizationally validated (OV) SSL certificates are given only after the certification authority (CA) has validated the business and ascertained the accuracy of its physical address and web address.
Domain Validated
Domain validated (DV) SSL certificates is less rigorous than an OV certificate authentication. In this case, the check by the CA only extends to matching the applicant’s contact information to the information in the WHOIS database, without the legitimacy of the business being determined by verifying a physical address or any further business information.
Extended Validation
Extended validation (EV) SSL certificates are the most rigorous of all. This type of certification allows the green color-coding of the address bar as a sign of security. This is visible to every visitor to a website and has become widely known as a sign that the website is owned by a valid business organization and that one is safe to make a purchase from, or do business with, the website showing the green address bar.
GoDaddy SSL Certificates
GoDaddy offers what it refers to as Standard and Premium SSL certificates, both offering 256-bit encryption and a warranty. The GoDaddy SSL certificate warranties cover up to $10,000 for the standard plan and $250,000 for the premium plan and are intended to cover customer loss resulting from any negligence on GoDaddy’s part in providing an SSL certificate, further showing customers that the SSL certificate can be trusted.
Standard SSL certificates are domain validated. They are offered for a single domain for as little as $59.49/year, for multiple domains at as little as $71.99/year, and in a wildcard version (a single domain with unlimited subdomains) for as little as $179.99/year. Each SSL certificate includes live 24/7 support, an SSL installation tool, and site seal options including or excluding the GoDaddy.com domain name.
Premium SSL certificates from GoDaddy are extended validation SSL certificates. They are available for a single domain for as little as $74.99/year, and a standard SSL certificate (that is, domain validated), is provided for free while the extended validation process is underway. EV SSL certificates are currently only available for the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. These provide the same 24/7 live support, SSL installation tools and site seal options.
Consumers are more informed and much more cautious when it comes to Internet shopping. It is estimated that in some countries more than 40% of the population will not shop online because they are worried about the security of the transaction. Any business website hopefully to establish and maintain a prosperous online business must have an SSL certificate. Choosing GoDaddy for your SSL certificate enables webmasters to get the best SSL certificates cheaper than through a big name distributor. GoDaddy SSL certificates secure unlimited servers and boasts a 99.9% browser recognition rate. Visit the official GoDaddy website using our link below and receive an automatic 10% discount off the already cheap SSL certificates.