Types Of SSL Certificates

 

Types Of SSL Certificates: Choosing One For Your Website

Nowadays, it’s easier than ever before to get an SSL certificate for your site. Virtually all managed hosts offer it right from the dashboard, some even providing a free SSL certificate, so check with your host before looking into third-party certificates. If they don’t offer a free one, they may still sell and offer configuration of third party SSL certificates. But as with most other things, the price and complexity of configuration depends on your specific use case. In this article we take a look at the types of SSL certificates that are out there, so you can decide what is right for you.

Types of SSL Certificates

There are different types of SSL Certificates which are broken out into three main levels: Domain Validated (DV), Organization Validated (OV), and Extended Validated (EV). They all offer different levels of validation and coverage at different prices.

Domain Validated (DV) Certificates

This is the base-level SSL certificate that offer encryption of server-browser communication only. They are good for sites where trust and credibility are less important and only need encryption for logins, forms or other non-transactional data. They don’t include company verification, so if proving identity is important on your site, you might want to go a step up. However, there are many free SSL options out there at the DV level, so it is easy to for any website to meet basic SSL certificate requirements.

This article from Elegant Themes shows you how to set up a free SSL certificate on your WordPress site, both manually in cPanel, and using WordPress plugins.

Organization Validated (OV) Certificates

OV certificates do everything that a Domain Validated certificate does, except it adds on some of that business authentication into your address bar details. It’s not prominently displayed, so your site visitor has to view the certificate itself to verify, but still acts as some proof that you are who you say are. They do look pretty much the same in the browser as a DV certificate, so aren’t as popular as EV certificates if identity validation is important.

Extended Validation (EV) Certificates

EV Certificates are the strongest certificates you can buy – and also the most expensive. They cover the most in terms of a breach, and as such, companies must meet the highest, and most stringent requirements to obtain one. But they offer that green “lock” icon in the address bar, that users are beginning to expect on sites that process transactions and sensitive personal data.