Top 5 Checks before purchasing an SSL Certificate
Top 5 Checks before purchasing an SSL Certificate – Before we get into the topic, lets learn basics of this topic.
What is an SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate is a series of algorithms that create a protected tunnel between your browser and your web server. This offers a safe way for the transmission of data to the browser between your servers.
Still unclear about the working of an SSL?
Let us understand with reference to the below picture.
As shown above, there are 2 processes which take place when the user enters a question in their browser.
- A report to the server is submitted
- Data from the site server is passed to the user browser, as per the order.
Today, if you do not have an SSL Certificate, then there are risks that it will be abused by intruders / hackers when this information is transmitted, but this is not the case when you have a protected SSL link.
Video guide: explainer of the SSL credential
The SSL Credential secures this route by looking at the video below to better grasp it.
Credits:Youtube
Why is there a need for an SSL Certificate?
You have, as explained above, understood what the function of an SSL certificate is. Today, for many reasons, ensuring protection for consumer data is the most obvious justification for getting an SSL license.
Well, imagine having a platform for e-commerce, obviously having a payment portal in it. A visitor continues to order the item on your website and as the online payment keys are entered, there is no SSL on the website. Then all the sensitive information placed in by the visitor is vulnerable to a hack by the intruders.
Uh, see! Why is it relevant that you have SSL?
Let me send you one more excuse to have an SSL Certificate enabled. Heard about upgrading Chrome 68? Umm … yeah, plenty should have! But let me explain, in short, to you. Basically, if your website does not have an SSL certificate for this upgrade, then when a visitor visits your website, he will see something like the picture below.
As per the latest spat between Google and Symantec, the World’s Leading CA ‘s Biggest Browser distrusted SSL Certificates.
A terrible sight though!! What website owner would like their website to have a “Not Stable” tag?
Oh, so I won’t!
I don’t need to explain to you now, clearly, how this will affect the traffic going to your website.
If you don’t install an SSL Certificate on your server, there are several dangers. So, you have to understand why it’s important to have an SSL certificate right now. Let us learn more about the criteria on which you can select your website’s SSL Credential.
Selection of an SSL Certificate
Using an SSL wizard is the easiest way to choose an SSL license. It’s an automatic way to pick an SSL certificate; it’s a easy procedure in which 2-3 questions are asked, and then the tool shows suggested items from which you can pick all of them. But this method should only be used if you have at least some understanding of SSL forms.
If you are entirely new to SSL, then the AI tool above will also help you select the proper SSL certificate for your website. I would also suggest that you read this article further, where I will clarify the checks and steps for selecting an SSL credential.
Top 5 checks before buying an SSL Certificate
Any software tool or wizard will not execute the tests I would like to list here. Therefore, carefully follow these tests or you may end up choosing an incorrect SSL form and paying out more money.
The SSL budget depends on one’s website specifications. Knowing the real criteria is really critical.
So here’s our first step; fully understand your needs.
Understanding the demand for the multi-domain.
The first thing to consider when we talk about the specifications is how many domains you want to protect. Just one or more than one. Bear in mind now: domains and subdomains are two separate entities.
Like abc.com or xyz.com, a domain is like
And there are subdomains like * .abc.com or * .xyz.com
Once you have learned that you need to list the number of domains that you want to protect. You will use Multi-domain SSL Licenses, as though your company has 5 separate domains and you want all the domains protected.
Let us understand the function of the SSL Certificate multi-domain.
This certificates are a cooperative web hosting solution that relies on a single IP address for hosting distinct domains. In short, you have 1 single server and all have more than one website hosted on it, but on that web server you need to submit a multi-domain SSL.
You can protect up to 100 to 250 additional domains as an SSL Certificate SAN feature by using Multi-domain SSL. You need to pay additional money for these SANs, but some CAs (Certifying Authorities) also offer some free SANs (such as Geotrust provides 4 extra free SANs)
Therefore, once you have found out whether you have 1 domain or more, you can pick the necessary SSL form.
Understanding the specifications for the subdomain
Now let us take the subdomains scenario; given that you have 1 domain, but distinct subdomains.
- Your domain-google.com
- Abc.google.com sub-domain-
- xyz.google.com, etc.
Ok, you need a Wildcard SSL Certificate in this situation. A wildcard SSL Certificate lets you stable sub-domains of several level one. It would save you a lot of money to purchase a Wildcard SSL License, since it secures the main domain as well as limitless sub-domains.
Fair bargain?
You have known by now when and where a Wildcard and Multi-domain SSL Certificate can be selected.
Let’s go ahead and understand what our next check is.
Is it registered by your organization?
Maybe you wonder why it’s a check.
Well, it’s a big one …
You need an SSL License, whether you are running a basic blog or an e-commerce website or a business website. Although the type of credential that is used is different in all situations.
Now, let us appreciate the categories of certificates according to the needs of the platform.
3 types of SSL certificates
- Extended Validated SSL Certificate (EV SSL Cert.)
- Organization Validated SSL Certificate (OV SSL Cert.)
- Domain Validated SSL Certificate (DV SSL Cert.)
Below is a short difference between all the types of certs.
Try having an e-commerce website and becoming a registered entity. Holding an EV or an OV SSL certificate is recommended.
How does the purchasing of an EV or OV apply to having a registered company?
So here’s the thing, an EV or an OV SSL cert is given by either CA. Only if there’s a licensed association. Most e-commerce businesses opt for the highest SSL Certificate protection, i.e. an EV SSL Certificate. Just as in the picture below, opting for an EV SSL Certificate gives you a Green Address bar.
You can opt for an OV SSL Credential if you have a company website (not an e-commerce website). Also with an OV SSL certificate, as explained above. You need to get the company licensed. The time of issuance of an EV SSL is approx. 7-10 days and SSL OV certificates are approx. Days 1-2.
If you have a website for blogging or a website for a non-registered company, all you need is a DV SSL certificate.
In a few minutes, the Domain Validated SSL Certificate is issued and does not require any checking, as in EV and OV SSL certificates.
Choosing a DV SSL certificate. It’s not going to give you a green address bar, it’s just going to give you a safe green sign.
But now you might have got my point of wondering whether or not your business is registered. So you can make a decision on which sort of SSL Cert you need for your website as per the above detail.
Our next inspection is …
Will you have a mutual hosting program or a separate hosting service?
Shared hosting requires one or more websites hosted on a single public IP (all websites can be yours or other people’s as well) and where only a single IP is used to host a single website, dedicated hosting is named.
Now you may have grasped the importance of mutual and devoted hosting.
Confused as to if it’s a check?
I’ll elaborate …
Let’s presume there is a feature named SNI (subject name indication) on your website hosted on shared IP (shared hosting). There is now your website and the website of several other persons on the shared IP. A single SSL certificate is for a single Address, but how is this going to work for a shared Address now?
This is where the SNI feature for your rescue comes in. This latest functionality is now enabled on virtually all platforms for one day. And if it is a private IP, it helps you to mount your SSL certificate on your website.
So, the first question you can ask your hosting company before purchasing an SSL certificate is, is the SNI server supported? If they ask yes, they can or will not grant SSL installation access to your C-panel. Some hosting services grant you access to the certificate and some suggest you need to grant them the certificate to instal it for you, which is also good.
But in Dedicated hosting, this is not the case, you have direct access to your server here and there are no other websites hosted other than yours. This lets you smoothly instal the SSL certificate. However, both would allow you to conveniently instal the certificate, but as discussed above, you will need to ask a few questions in the case of shared IP.
Certificate of ECC or RSA. Which one do you pick?
This one is a bit technical now!
But don’t worry, we’re going to get this cleared up in the best way. Basically, in an SSL used to encrypt the data, there is a key size. Cert ECC. It has a 256-bit key size and RSA certification. The key size is 2048 bits. You could end up assuming by reading this sentence that the main size of RSA is more, thereby having more protection! But no … that’s not the case.
Although the main size of the ECC is smaller, it offers more protection than RSA.
Let’s now learn which one you can choose.
This completely depends on one’s needs. You can go for an ECC credential if it’s an e-commerce website that wants more protection. Or else RSA cert, too. If you want to use it, it will work. In any one of them, there is no price difference; all come at the same rate. All you need to do is tell your SSL provider that you need an ECC certificate or an RSA certificate.
So, our guide to selecting an SSL Certificate is complete with this last search.
Completion
Before buying an SSL License, the above tests are the most basic ones you need to run. There are other technicalities as well, but these basic ones would be of more benefit if you are a new buyer and not a technical guy.
If you think we have skipped another simple search, please share them in the comment section so that we can include them and it would also be helpful for other users.