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Lang Nunnally
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An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates a website's identity and enables an encrypted connection. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, a security protocol that creates an encrypted link between a web server and a web browser.
If a website is asking users to sign in, enter personal details such as their credit card numbers, or view confidential information such as health benefits or financial information, then it is essential to keep the data confidential. SSL certificates help keep online interactions private and assure users that the website is authentic and safe to share private information with.
This is the highest-ranking and most expensive type of SSL certificate. It tends to be used for high profile websites which collect data and involve online payments. When installed, this SSL certificate displays the padlock, HTTPS, name of the business, and the country on the browser address bar. Displaying the website owner's information in the address bar helps distinguish the site from malicious sites. To set up an EV SSL certificate, the website owner must go through a standardized identity verification process to confirm they are authorized legally to the exclusive rights to the domain.
This version of SSL certificate has a similar assurance similar level to the EV SSL certificate since to obtain one; the website owner needs to complete a substantial validation process. This type of certificate also displays the website owner's information in the address bar to distinguish from malicious sites. OV SSL certificates tend to be the second most expensive (after EV SSLs), and their primary purpose is to encrypt the user's sensitive information during transactions. Commercial or public-facing websites must install an OV SSL certificate to ensure that any customer information shared remains confidential.
Wildcard SSL certificates allow you to secure a base domain and unlimited sub-domains on a single certificate. If you have multiple sub-domains to secure, then a Wildcard SSL certificate purchase is much less expensive than buying individual SSL certificates for each of them. Wildcard SSL certificates have an asterisk * as part of the common name, where the asterisk represents any valid sub-domains that have the same base domain. For example, a single Wildcard certificate for *website can be used to secure:
A Multi-Domain certificate can be used to secure many domains and/or sub-domain names. This includes the combination of completely unique domains and sub-domains with different TLDs (Top-Level Domains) except for local/internal ones.
Multi-Domain certificates do not support sub-domains by default. If you need to secure both www.example.com and example.com with one Multi-Domain certificate, then both hostnames should be specified when obtaining the certificate.
Unified Communications Certificates (UCC) are also considered Multi-Domain SSL certificates. UCCs were initially designed to secure Microsoft Exchange and Live Communications servers. Today, any website owner can use these certificates to allow multiple domain names to be secured on a single certificate. UCC Certificates are organizationally validated and display a padlock on a browser. UCCs can be used as EV SSL certificates to give website visitors the highest assurance through the green address bar.
The cost of an SSL certificate can range from free to hundreds of dollars, depending on the level of security you require. Once you decide on the type of certificate you require, you can then look for Certificate Issuers, which offer SSLs at the level you require.
How quickly you receive your certificate depends on what type of certificate you get and which certificate provider you procure it from. Each level of validation takes a different length of time to complete. A simple Domain Validation SSL certificate can be issued within minutes of being ordered, whereas Extended Validation can take as long as a full week.
It is possible to use one SSL certificate for multiple domains on the same server. Depending on the vendor, you can also use one SSL certificate on multiple servers. This is because of Multi-Domain SSL certificates, which we discussed above.
To make matters confusing, you may hear Multi-Domain SSL Certificates, also referred to as SAN certificates. SAN stands for Subject Alternative Name. Every multi-domain certificate has additional fields (i.e., SANs), which you can use to list additional domains that you want to cover under one certificate.
SSL certificates do expire; they don't last forever. The Certificate Authority/Browser Forum, which serves as the de facto regulatory body for the SSL industry, states that SSL certificates should have a lifespan of no more than 27 months. This essentially means two years plus you can carry over up to three months if you renew with time remaining on your previous SSL certificate.
SSL certificates expire because, as with any form of authentication, information needs to be periodically re-validated to check it is still accurate. Things change on the internet, as companies and also websites are bought and sold. As they change hands, the information relevant to SSL certificates also changes. The purpose of the expiry period is to ensure that the information used to authenticate servers and organizations is as up-to-date and accurate as possible.
Previously, SSL certificates could be issued for as long as five years, which was subsequently reduced to three and most recently to two years plus a potential extra three months. In 2020, Google, Apple, and Mozilla announced they would enforce one-year SSL certificates, despite this proposal being voted down by the Certificate Authority Browser Forum. This took effect from September 2020. It is possible that in the future, the length of validity will reduce still further.
If you allow a certificate to expire, the certificate becomes invalid, and you will no longer be able to run secure transactions on your website. The Certification Authority (CA) will prompt you to renew your SSL certificate before the expiration date.
Only submit your personal data and online payment details to websites with EV or OV certificates. DV certificates are not suitable for eCommerce websites. You can tell if a site has an EV or OV certificate by looking at the address bar. For an EV SSL, the organization's name will be visible in the address bar itself. For an OV SSL, you can see the organization's name's details by clicking on the padlock icon. For a DV SSL, only the padlock icon is visible.
Look out for trust signals or indicators on websites.
As well as SSL certificates, these include reputable logos or badges which show the website meets specific security standards. Other signs that can help you determine if a site is real or not include checking for a physical address and telephone number, checking their returns or refunds policy, and making sure prices are believable and not too good to be true.
Cybersecurity risks continue to evolve but understanding the types of SSL certificates to look out for and how to distinguish a safe site from a potentially dangerous one will help internet users avoid scams and protect their personal data from cybercriminals.
To get a certificate, you must create a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) on your server. This process creates a private key and public key on your server. The CSR data file that you send to the SSL Certificate issuer (called a Certificate Authority or CA) contains the public key. The CA uses the CSR data file to create a data structure to match your private key without compromising the key itself. The CA never sees the private key.
The most important part of an SSL certificate is that it is digitally signed by a trusted CA, like DigiCert. Anyone can create a certificate, but browsers only trust certificates that come from an organization on their list of trusted CAs. Browsers come with a pre-installed list of trusted CAs, known as the Trusted Root CA store. In order to be added to the Trusted Root CA store and thus become a Certificate Authority, a company must comply with and be audited against security and authentication standards established by the browsers.
Because SSL is still the better known, more commonly used term, DigiCert uses TLS/SSL when referring to certificates or describing how transmitted data is secured. When you purchase an SSL Certificate from us (e.g., Standard SSL, Extended Validation SSL, etc.), you are actually getting a TLS Certificate (RSA or ECC).
By clicking on the padlock icon in the URL bar you can verify the identity of the website owner. Unfortunately, most phishing sites today have a padlock and a DV certificate. That's why it's important to look beyond the lock in the URL bar. If a website is not willing to put their identity in the certificate, you shouldn't be willing to share any identifying information with them. If you see the organization's name, now you can make a better decision about who you trust.
Web browsers are generally set to trust a pre-selected list of certificate authorities (CAs), and the browser can verify that any signature it sees comes from a CA in that list. The list of trusted CAs is set either by the underlying operating system or by the browser itself.
When a website presents a certificate to a browser during an HTTPS connection, the browser uses the information and signature in the certificate to confirm that a CA it trusts has decided to trust the information in the certificate.
Certificates can be valid for anywhere from years to days. In general, shorter-lived certificates offer a better security posture, since the impact of key compromise is less severe. Automating the issuance and renewal of certificates is an overall best practice, and can make the adoption of shorter-lived certificates more practical.
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