SSL Certificates

SSL Certificates at trade prices

The right SSL can increase the conversion of your e-commerce site

The type of validation you decide to go for will be dependent on the size and scope of your website, as well as the kind of data you will be requesting from your users and/or customers. The three main types of SSL validation are:

  • Domain validated certificates (DV SSL)
  • Organisation validated certificates (OV SSL)
  • Extended validated certificates (EV SSL)

DV SSL

  • How it is validated: DV SSL certificates have the lowest level of validation of the three types of SSL certificates. When issuing DV certs, the certification authority will not look into the identity of a person or company, they will simply verify that they have control over the domain.
  • What it looks like: The web address will feature “https” and the padlock symbol. When you click on the padlock to view the certificate, the information about website ownership will be limited to basic information.
  • We Like DV SSL certs are issued more quickly which is generally online and automated, normally in a few minutes. It is the cheapest option of the three and ideal if you have a smaller site and want to get started quickly.
  • We Don’t Like   The low level of validation means that website users don’t have much of an idea of who a domain owner is.

OV SSL

  • How it’s validated: The background checks and verification process are more intensive for OV SSL certificates. CAs verify the individual or business that own the domain and do some basic checks.
  • What it looks like: In the browser address bar, an OV SSL certificate is signified in much the same way as DV SSL – with the “https” prefix and a padlock. However, when you click on the padlock it will display more information about that company that owns the domain, such as name, address, and country.
  • We Like: OV SSL certificates are more trustworthy than DV SSL since users will know who is behind the website and who they are dealing with.
  • We Don’t Like:  OV certificates take longer to issue than DV certificates. Verification can sometimes take several days. It will increase customers’ peace of mind, if you can wait for it to be issued.

EV SSL

  • How it is validated: The highest level of SSL certification you can get, when issuing EV the certificate, Certificate Authorties do more detailed background checks on the domain owning organisation, validating its ownership, legal existence, physical location.
  • What it looks like: A website with an EV certificate will turn part or all of the browser web address bar green. The padlock symbol will also be featured, as well as the name of the organisation or company you controls the site you are viewing.
  • We Like: With an EV SSL certificate, the green bar and clearly displayed organisation name will show everyone that they should have no doubts about your site’s legitimacy. This can leave to a much higher conversion rate for your site.
  • We Don’t Like: An EV SSL certificate is more expensive. The detail  of the checks needed means sometimes verification can be longer, although sometimes in can be minutes..

Rapid SSL

£30.00Year
    • Validation Type: DV
    • Warranty: $10,000
    • Issued In: Minutes
    • Business Validated
    • Green Address Bar
    • Site Seal: Static rapid-ssl-seal
    • Server Licensing: Unlimited

Comodo Instant SSL

£69.00Year
    • Validation Type: OV
    • Warranty: $50,000
    • Issued In: 1-3 Days
    • Business Validated
    • Green Address Bar
    • Site Seal: Dynamic instant-ssl
    • Server Licensing: Unlimited

Geotrust True Business EV SSL

£270.00Year
    • Validation Type: EV
    • Warranty: $1,500,000
    • Issued In: Varies – Minutes to Days
    • Business Validated
    • Green Address Bar
    • Site Seal: Dynamic geotrust-true-business-id
    • Server Licensing: Unlimited

What is Data Encryption?

When a client and a web server communicate, typically that information is out in the open and capable of being interceptedor manipulated by a third party. For obvious reasons, this is not ideal. An SSL/TLS Certificate enables an encrypted connection, wherein all communication between the client and server is encoded in such a way that only an authorized party can read it. This protects personal data and sensitive information being shared between the two.

What is Authentication?

As we mentioned, an SSL/TLS Certificate serves two functions. The first is to encrypt communication between a website and its visitors. The second, authentication, offers verified information about the company or organization operating a website to its visitors. Trust is absolutely essential online, and authentication provides your site’s visitors with the confidence they need to do business with you.

What is SSL/TLS?

Let’s start with the basics. An SSL/TLS Certificate serves two primary functions. It enables encrypted connections between clients (a website’s visitors) and web servers (the server that hosts a website) via the SSL/TLS protocol. It also authenticates the identity of the company or organization that holds the certificate.

How does an SSL/TLS Certificate Actually Work?

So by now you know that an SSL/TLS Certificate enables an encrypted connection between a client and a web server, but what does that actually mean? How does it enact this kind of secure connection? It starts with an interaction known as the SSL Handshakethat, within a matter of milliseconds, can facilitate an encrypted connection that protects all communication between your website and its visitors.

How does the SSL/TLS Issuance Process Work?

There are several steps you’ll need to take in order to get your SSL/TLS Certificate issued. Starting with generating a Certificate Signing Request and a Private Key, you’ll also need to undergo the verification process, receive the certificate and all accompanying files from the Certificate Authority, then install it on your server and configure your server for HTTPS.

Authentication Levels

The first thing you need to do when determining which SSL Security Solution is correct for you is to decide on which authentication level best suits your business. If you’re running a non-e-commerce business or a personal website, you may just want to go with a Domain Validation SSL Certificate. For larger companies where business authentication is important, you should consider an Organisation Validation or Extended Validation SSL Certificate.