Know the Technical Difference Between OV vs EV Code Signing
OV and EV are two validation levels for Code Signing Certificates. OV (Organization Validated) provides basic identity validation. EV (Extended Validation) offers a higher level of assurance through extensive organizational vetting. EV Code Signing Certificates validate the legal entity and include visual trust indicators. For software publishers, EV Code Signing provides greater credibility although costs more than OV. When choosing between OV Code Signing vs EV Code Signing, weigh assurance needs vs budget.
Head-to-Head Comparison Between OV Code Signing vs EV Code Signing
| Feature | OV Code Signing | EV Code Signing |
|---|---|---|
| Validation Level | Organization Identity | Legal Entity Identity |
| Verification Process | Manual organization checks | Extensive legal entity confirmation |
| Issuance Timeframe | 1-3 days | 3-5+ days |
| Cost | $200 – $500 per year | $500 – $1500+ per year |
| Use Cases | Personal, non-commercial code | Public, commercial software |
| Code Signing Trust Level | Moderate | High |
| Ideal for | Developers, startups | Enterprises, medical, financial |
| Ease of Issuance | Simpler process | In-depth verification |
| Publisher Awareness | Basic information needed | Full legal details required |
| Software Distribution | Small scale | Public release |
| Recommendations | Non-critical applications | Mission-critical, sensitive code |
Also Read: DV SSL vs OV SSL Certificates
What is an OV Code Signing Certificate?
An OV (Organization Validated) code signing certificate provides basic identity validation of the publisher through manual checks of the organization’s registered legal name, address, and operational existence.
Here are some key things to know about OV code signing certificates:
- Validation Level: Organization validation only, no individual identity confirmation.
- Issuing Criteria: The certificate authority manually validates the organization’s legal name, address, and status through business registration documents, articles of incorporation, bank statements, etc.
- Verification Time: OV certificates can usually be issued within 1-3 business days since only basic organization identity checks are required.
- Browser Recognition: Signed code will show the organization’s name in browser warnings and dialogs.
- Cost: OV certificates are cheaper than EV certificates, usually $80-$200 per year.
- Use Cases: Ideal for open-source projects, small software developers, individuals, basic driver signing, and code still in development/beta testing.
- Trust Level: Provides a moderate level of trust in the publisher’s identity. Users will see the organization’s name but no verified legal entity information.
- Purpose: Proves ownership of the code signing certificate and that the software comes from the identified organization. Protects users from running malicious unsigned code.
What is an EV Code Signing Certificate?
EV (Extended Validation) code signing certificates provide a high level of stringent identity verification checks on the legal entity behind the certificate.
Here are some key things to know about EV code signing certificates:
- Validation Level: Full validated legal entity identity including company verification, registered name, physical address, operational existence, and approved authorization to use the certificate.
- Issuing Criteria: Certificate authorities complete thorough manual checks of the organization including documentation, background reviews, in-person identity verification, and cross-checking official government/third-party databases and resources.
- Verification Time: Due to the extensive verification process, EV certificates typically take 3-5 business days or longer to validate and issue.
- Cost: EV certificates cost more than OVs, ranging from $150-$500+ per year due to the detailed verification.
- Use Cases: Ideal for large commercial software releases, publicly distributed programs and files, driver signing, medical software, IoT firmware code, and sensitive applications.
- Trust Level: Represents the highest level of trust for code signing certificates. Users can easily see and trust the verified legal entity name.
- Purpose: Proves the legitimate identity of the legal entity behind the code signing certificate. Ensures software comes from the validated publisher and has not been tampered with.
OV vs EV Code Signing Certificates: Key Differences
Now that you understand OV and EV code signing certificates independently, let’s clearly outline the key differences between the two options:
- Identity Verification Rigor: OV only checks organization identity, while EV does thorough legal entity validation.
- Turnaround Time: OV can be issued in 1-3 days, EV takes 3-5+ days due to intensive verification.
- Ideal Use Cases: OV best for individuals and early development code, EV optimal for commercial software and sensitive, public applications.
- Level of Trust: OV provides moderate assurance; EV offers the highest level of trust and integrity to end-users.
- Ease of Issuance: OV has a faster and simpler validation process; EV requires extensive identity verification.
- Application Awareness: EV validation requires knowing the code distribution model and use cases.
OV vs EV Code Signing: Which Should You Choose?
Deciding between OV and EV comes down to weighing your code signing needs, budget, and the level of trust you want to provide to end-users.
OV code signing offers a faster, cheaper option for basic organizational identity where legal entity verification is not needed. It’s ideal for personal projects, early development code, and software not intended for broad commercial distribution.
EV code signing delivers the maximum trust and integrity for critical software through extensive legal entity validation. It provides clear indicators of verified identity and enhanced security for end-users.
As a rule of thumb:
- Choose OV when you want basic organizational signing at a low price.
- Choose EV when verified legal entity status and the highest code integrity are critical.
Conclusion
OV and EV code signing certificates both allow developers to digitally sign software for integrity and authenticity. However, EV represents a higher level of identity assurance through intensive legal entity verification.
For non-commercial use cases, OV code signing strikes a good balance of affordable organizational validation. EV certificates become necessary for publishers who distribute critical software to the public and need to convey the highest degree of trust in their legal entity identity.
By understanding the key differences in validation processes, visual indicators, cost factors, and use cases, you can determine if OV or EV code signing certificates best fit your budget and integrity requirements. Carefully evaluate your software distribution plans and end-user trust needs when deciding which type of certificate is right for securely signing your code.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between OV and EV code signing certificates?
The primary difference is the rigor of identity verification: OV confirms organizational details, while EV validates the full legal entity identity including operational existence, registered name, physical address, and authorization.
Which type of code signing certificate is more trusted?
EV code signing certificates represent the highest level of trust compared to OV certificates. The extensive manual verification checks behind EV certificates provide end-users with full confidence in the identity of the legal entity that signed the code.
Do I need an EV certificate if I have an OV certificate?
If you currently use an OV code signing certificate, you may not need to upgrade to an EV certificate. OV provides basic organizational identity validation at a lower cost. EV becomes important for software publishers who need to convey the highest level of trust to end-users that their legal entity identity has been fully authenticated.
Is EV code signing required for public software releases?
EV code signing validation is strongly recommended but not necessarily required for all public software, particularly for independent developers and smaller organizations. Extensive legal entity verification provides additional end-user trust for commercial applications and critical software managing sensitive functions or data. Work with your stakeholders to determine if EV validation aligns with your integrity and security requirements.
How can I determine if I should use OV or EV code signing?
Consider the software use case and distribution plan. How sensitive or mission-critical is the code? What level of publisher identity verification is needed to meet end-user trust requirements? Does the budget allow for a more expensive EV certificate? In general, EV makes the most sense commercially distributed software where authentication is paramount. OV can suffice for personal projects or early development code not intended for broad public release.
Is EV code signing worth the higher cost over OV?
For many large commercial software publishers, EV is well worth the investment, especially for public-facing or sensitive applications handling things like medical data, finances, infrastructure, security, etc. The legal entity validation and visual trust indicators provide maximum code integrity and security assurance for end-users. For independent developers and smaller budgets, OV may provide “good enough” publisher validation at an affordable price.
- TPMs for integrity verification and full disk encryption of servers, paired with HSMs to secure and manage encryption keys used by the servers.
- TPMs in IoT devices for hardware-based secure boot and authentication, with HSMs managing the PKI keys and certificates used for mutual authentication.
- TPMs provide hardware roots of trust in endpoints, complemented by HSMs for centralized, secure storage of backups of TPM keys and credentials.
The TPM secures the endpoint while the HSM provides broader, scalable secure key storage and cryptographic processing across the infrastructure.
