Types of SSL Certificates
- Domain Validated (DV) Certificates: These provide a basic level of validation, only verifying the ownership of the domain. They’re often used for blogs and personal websites.
- Organization Validated (OV) Certificates: These require more validation, including the organization’s identity, making them suitable for business websites that collect user data.
- Extended Validation (EV) Certificates: Offering the highest level of validation, these verify the domain’s ownership and the legal existence of the organization, ideal for e-commerce sites and large enterprises.
- Wildcard SSL Certificates: These secure a domain and an unlimited number of its subdomains, a cost-effective solution for large sites with many subdomains.
- Multi-Domain SSL Certificates (MDC): Also known as Unified Communications Certificates (UCC), these secure multiple domain names with a single SSL certificate.
Each types of SSL certificates provide a different level of security and trust, and the choice depends on the specific needs and budget of the website owner.
Domain Validation (DV) SSL Certificates
Domain Validation (DV) SSL certificate is one of the basic types of SSL certificates that offer a quick, cost-effective way to secure a website by confirming the domain owner’s control. Issuance is rapid, with minimal checks required, making them ideal for blogs and informational websites where trust and identity verification are less of a concern. DV certificates encrypt data transactions, providing a basic level of security for user interactions.
- Lowest cost option (as little as $10/year)
- Instant issuance in most cases
- Ideal for personal websites and basic security needs
- No paperwork required for validation
Organization Validation (OV) SSL Certificates
Organization Validated (OV) SSL certificates enhance trust by verifying both domain ownership and the organization’s authenticity. Issuers conduct thorough checks to confirm the business’s legal existence, making OV certificates a solid choice for commercial sites handling sensitive data. They provide a stronger signal of security to users, displaying verified company information within the certificate details, fostering increased user confidence in the website’s credibility.
- Displays organization name in certificate
- Moderate assurance level
- Faster issuance than EV certificates
- Ideal for small to medium businesses
- Cost effective for most uses
Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates
Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificates offer the highest level of security by undergoing a rigorous validation process, confirming the domain’s ownership and the organization’s legal and operational existence. They are distinguished by the prominent display of the company’s name in the browser’s address bar, instilling maximum trust in users. EV certificates are optimal for high-profile websites conducting e-commerce or requiring strong user trust and legal identity assurance.
- Highest level of trust with green address bar
- Rigorous validation process
- Clearly displays organization legal name
- Improves customer confidence in site legitimacy
- Ideal for ecommerce, banking, financial sites
Wildcard SSL Certificates
Wildcard SSL certificates secure a primary domain and an unlimited number of subdomains with a single certificate. This versatile option simplifies management and reduces costs for organizations with multiple subdomains, such as separate areas for payments, support, or blog content. By using an asterisk (*) as a placeholder for all potential subdomains, Wildcard SSLs provide a convenient solution for comprehensive encryption across a large, dynamic web presence.
- Secures unlimited subdomains with one certificate
- Cost effective for managing multiple subdomains
- Simple renewal process from one domain certificate
- Enable HTTPS across multiple domains
Multi-Domain (SAN) SSL Certificates
Multi-Domain SSL certificates, also known as Unified Communications Certificates (UCC), provide a convenient way to secure multiple domain names with a single certificate. They are ideal for businesses managing several websites or services across different domains and subdomains. With the flexibility to secure up to 250 different domain names, Multi-Domain SSLs streamline certificate management, reduce costs, and maintain a high level of encryption across diverse web properties.
- Ability to secure multiple domain names
- Cost effective compared to individual certificates
- Simplifies SSL management for multiple domains
- Available with DV, OV and EV validation
- Ideal for large websites and businesses
Unified Communications Certificates
Unified Communication Certificates (UCC) SSL certificates streamline encryption by securing multiple domain names and subdomains within a single certificate. Businesses widely use them to manage multiple services across various platforms, reducing the complexity and cost of separate certificates for each domain. Initially crafted for Microsoft Exchange and Live Communications servers, UCC SSLs now offer a consistent security approach across various domains and services.
- Designed specifically for Microsoft Exchange servers
- Supports multiple hostnames and subdomains
- Enables secure communication for apps like OWA
- Seamless integration with Exchange server
- Available with EV or OV validation
Code Signing Certificates
Code Signing Certificates are digital certificates used by developers to sign software, scripts, and executables, verifying their identity and ensuring that the code has not been tampered with since being signed. They are crucial for maintaining the integrity of distributed software and building trust among users by confirming the legitimacy of the code source. These certificates are vital for any developer distributing code or software to end-users over the internet.
- Digitally signs software and code
- Verifies authenticity and integrity of code
- Builds user trust in software
- Protects users from malware or untrusted code
- Confirms validity and reputation of publisher
EV Code Signing Certificates
EV Code Signing Certificates provide the highest level of security for software developers by requiring extended validation of the publisher’s identity. They include hardware-based two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized use, offering stronger assurance to users about the integrity and origin of the software. These certificates can also immediately establish reputation with Microsoft SmartScreen, reducing security warnings when users download and run the signed application.
- Rigorous identity verification of code publisher
- Enables users to identify trusted publishers
- Minimum 2048-bit encryption for security
- Compatible across browsers and platforms
- Boosts end-user confidence in code integrity
- Timestamp to verify certificate validity period
- Hardware tokens provide two-factor authentication
FAQs on Types of SSL Certificates
What key type is SSL certificate?
SSL certificates use a public and private key pair that utilizes cryptography to establish an encrypted connection between a client and a server. The private key is kept secret while the public key can be widely distributed. The keys work in tandem to secure communications.
How do I know my SSL certificate type?
You can check the details of your SSL certificate to determine if it is a domain validated (DV), organization validated (OV), or extended validation (EV) certificate. DV certificates only verify domain ownership, OV certificates verify the organization, and EV certificates provide the highest level of validation including verifying the organization’s legal identity. The certificate authority that issued the certificate can also provide the details.
What are the different types of certificates encryption?
SSL/TLS certificates mainly use 1024-bit, 2048-bit, and 4096-bit encryption levels. 1024-bit encryption is no longer considered secure enough for most uses. 2048-bit is the common standard today for secure encryption. 4096-bit is very strong encryption that is often used for highly sensitive data and applications requiring ultra security. The higher the bits, the harder it is to crack the encryption through brute force.
What type of certificate is used for HTTPS?
HTTPS enabled websites require an SSL/TLS certificate to secure connections. The most common certificates used for HTTPS are domain validated (DV) certificates, which verify ownership of the domain name, organization validated (OV) certificates, which validate the organization, and extended validation (EV) certificates, which provide the highest level of vetting for the organization’s legal identity.
Which type of SSL certificate is best?
Extended validation (EV) SSL certificates are considered the highest level and trusted type of certificate. EV certificates validate the organization’s legal identity through manual verification by the certificate authority. This provides users the highest assurance they are communicating with the legitimate website owner.
What type of protocol is SSL?
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and its successor, TLS (Transport Layer Security), are cryptographic protocols that provide secure communications over a network. They use certificates to establish an encrypted link and allow sensitive information to be transmitted securely through authentication, data encryption and data integrity.