Different Types of SSL Certificates

Is WordPress Secure?

Online frauds are a reality to watch out for. Keeping your site safe with an SSL Certificate benefits your users and your company. When you’re in the market for SSL certificates, do you know which best suits your needs?

Types of SSL Certificates

SSL certificates are necessary to keep data secure online, otherwise, every bit of data —yours or your customers, will navigate through the internet unencrypted. It’s a matter of waiting before someone gets their hands on that data.

There are different types of SSL certificates and different ways to classify them. When you group them by validation level, there are 3 types of SSL certificates:

Domain Validated

This gives the lowest level of validation. The Certificate Authority, also called CA, makes sure the organization controls the domain in question. This is usually verified by email. Once you demonstrate control over the domain, you get the SSL certificate and the process takes from minutes to hours. As an indication that you’ve been validated, the browser will show that it has made a secured HTTPS connection when your site is loaded. Its validity goes from 1 to 3 years.

Types of SSL CertificatesOrganization Validated

For medium validation, this is the one you need. In this case, the CA will confirm that the organization is authenticated and then validate the ownership of the domain and information like the name, city, and country, which is included in the certificate. This process takes a few days and as an indication that it has been validated, the company information will be included in the certificate details. Its validity goes from 1 to 3 years.

Extended Validation

This provides the most strict level validation. The CA validates the same as the Organization Validated certificate plus physical location, confirms that the company’s existence is legal and also makes sure the organization is aware that an SSL certificate has been requested before approving. Verification is done through plenty of documentation and checks, and it takes a few weeks. The browser will have a green address bar with the company’s name as an indication that it’s been validated. Its validity goes from 1 to 2 years.

SSL certificates are key to keep your data secure, particularly when you run an eCommerce business that will have access to a lot of sensitive data on a daily basis. Take time to go over the differences of each type of certificate and decide what is best for your business.

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