What all things to be considered while buying the SSL certificate?
Web technology and web designers are immensely working on the newest innovation in website development on a timely basis. One of the reasons for this development is also the threats which the online business owners are facing from hackers and cybercriminals.
The most efficient way that developers use is installing the SSL certificate on the website that gives an extra layer of protection and encryption of data.
Thus before you trigger to open an online business make sure you research all the possible vulnerabilities attached to your business and know about SSL certificates which is an integral part of the website security.
Before moving ahead let us first understand about SSL certificates and their importance in brief.
What is an SSL certificate?
SSL certificate is a digital technology and digital keys that are bind together with public and private keys in order to give an extra layer of protection to the data on your website. It gives encryption to all the levels of transmission between the server and the browser.
Encryption to put simply is – the information like – name, address, contact numbers, credit cards, etc. are converted into an unreadable format which the hackers cannot break the code and the only computer can decipher. This prevents hacking and another intrusion on the website.
SSL – Secure Socket Layer, is actually a verification of the company which is online and it means that all the details of the company are verified and registered with a certificate authority – CA. This gives legitimacy to your online business.
So now if we have the SSL certificate for your website, then how one can check that whether it is reliable or not. These certificates actually come with three different types of validation that further defines the trust and credibility of your website on the search engines.
The validation type is also one of the factors while choosing the right SSL certificate for your website.
Have a look at the factors to consider while buying the best SSL certificate for your website
Validation type is an important factor
There are three validation types which are offered by SSL certificate. This is also a factor to consider while buying your next SSL cert for your website.
For example, it gives Domain validation – This is the basic validation which is installed just in quickly on the website and is directly tied up with your domain name. This helps the customers know that the website is authentic on the web. It is good for basic public websites and government websites that do not need much of login credentials to fill.
Organisation validation is another type of validation offered which verifies major details of the company like – company name, address, and then certifies the domain validation to the company’s website.
It is good for the websites that have a large number of data and a chunk of files to manage like a government organization, public sector websites, educational websites etc. This validation takes 2 to 3 days to get installed and verified by the CA.
Extended validation is considered to be one of the best in terms of encryption and protection from hackers. This is because it takes 5 to 6 business days to verify all the details of the company and then it gives authenticity to your domain.
It assures its visitors to have a display of a padlock sign and also displays the company name on the address bar. It is best for the e-commerce websites.
Installation and verification process
Every SSL cert has a different validation type and depending on that they have the verification process. While buying your SSL cert makes sure you check on the process of verification and installation process.
How much time it will take, what all procedures have to be catered to, documents needs, number of days needed for installation etc.
Secure sign and trust seal
There are many SSL certificate providers in the market that gives the best buy to you. One factor to consider before you buy your chosen SSL cert is the trust seal and the secure sign which is visible in the address bar.
Another factor which has to be given importance is the renewal of the SSL certificates with the organizations. Once it is expired there is a process for renewal to be done.
Make sure when you buy you check on the renewal process and the time is taken to execute this, it will make you buy an easy one.
From where to buy and how to decide on the best
The leading SSL service providers are many in the market, that give the best discounts and the deals on your chosen SSL cert, but to make the right choice is based on your business type.
SSL service providers like Comodo, Thawte, Symantec, GeoTrust, GlobalSign etc. are some of the best out of which you can choose your SSL cert.
Encryption and security
The main job of SSL certificates is encryption and security, thus while buying the SSL cert make sure you check on the encryption level provided by the SSL certificate you are buying from your website.
For example, if it is an e-commerce website then 128-bit encryption is mandatory likewise for others too it will be easy for you make the right choice.
Number of domains to be secured
SSL certificate secures single domain, subdomains, and multiple domains. This feature is available with the type of validation and type of business for which we are using the SSL certificate.
For example, if you need to secure only one domain then buy a single domain, then buy standard SSL, or if you have to secure multiple sub domains under single then buy wildcard certificate. Thus, depending on this you can buy your preferred SSL for your business.
