Building customer trust or obtaining customers’ confidence in your business website is a must. The best way to accomplish this trust is to install an SSL certificate. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates are used to secure website pages when submitting necessary sensitive information. Sensitive information can be in the form of payment methods, online services such as online banking, and account login websites. SSL certificates can also be used to gain an end user’s trust. 

When the SSL certificate gets installed to a website, the URL changes from HTTP to HTTPS. A padlock appears in the URL address bar. Seeing the padlock builds immediate trust with those visiting your site. Without an SSL certificate, there is no other guaranteed way to maintain communication between the users and keep the website private from attackers. An SSL certificate ensures that all the sensitive communications on your website occur through a secure channel using data encryption.

These days, with the consequences of browsing unprotected and untrustworthy sites well-known, consumers are learning to look for the padlock and additional information as a way to protect their computers, their identities, and their lives.

Two main features of SSL certificate:

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) enhances a web site’s security by providing two important features: encryption and authentication.

• Encryption means that the data sent between your web site and users is unreadable by others. When a user accesses your site using an SSL connection (URLs that begin with https://), the web server and web browser exchange encrypted information. Contrast this with unencrypted web transactions, which are transmitted as plain text and subject to eavesdropping.
• Authentication means visitors can trust that you actually are who you claim to be. When users access your site using an SSL connection, they can be confident that they are seeing your site, and not an impostor’s. Whereas encryption helps protect data, authentication helps prove your identity to others.

How does this SSL certificate work?

SSL Certificates use something called public key cryptography.

This particular kind of cryptography harnesses the power of two keys which are long strings of randomly generated numbers. One is called a private key and one is called a public key. A public key is known to your server and available in the public domain. It can be used to encrypt any message.

If zack is sending a message to Ryan she will lock it with Ryan’s public key but the only way it can be decrypted is to unlock it with Ryan’s private key. Ryan is the only one who has his private key so Ryan is the only one who can use this to unlock Zack’s message. If a hacker intercepts the message before Ryan unlocks it, all they will get is a cryptographic code that they cannot break, even with the power of a computer.

If we look at this in terms of a website, the communication is happening between a website and a server. Your website and server are Zack and Ryan.

Types of SSL Certificates

• Domain Validation
• Organization Validation
• Extended Validation
• Wildcard SSL Certificate
• Multi-Domain SSL Certificate (MDC)

Extended Validation Certificates (EV SSL)

The highest-ranking and most expensive SSL certificate type is an Extended Validation Certificate. This type of SSL certificate, when installed, displays the padlock, HTTPS, name of the business, and the country on the browser address bar. EV SSL certificates are for high profile websites for applications that require identity assurance such as collecting data, processing logins, or online payments.Setting up the EV SSL certificate requires the website owner to go through a standardized identity verification process to confirm they are authorized legally to the exclusive rights to the domain.

• Organization Authorization
• Enrollment Form
• Operational Existence
• Physical Address
• Telephone auth
• Domain auth
• Final Verification call

Organization Validated Certificates (OV SSL)

The encryption across all three certificates is the same. but OV and EV offer better levels of authentication, which is why they cost a little more than Domain validation. The Organization Validation SSL certificate’s primary purpose is to encrypt the user’s sensitive information during transactions. This version of SSL certificate has a high assurance similar to the EV SSL certificate, which is used to validate a business’ creditably. Commercial or public-facing websites have a requirement to install an OV SSL certificate to assure that any customer information shared remains confidential.

To obtain an OV SSL certificate, the website owner needs to complete a substantial validation process. A Certification Authority (CA) investigates the website owner to see if they have the right to their specific domain name.

• Organization authentication
• Locality Presence
• Telephone Verification
• Domain Verification
• Final Verification Call

Domain Validated Certificates (DV SSL)

This is the most basic form of SSL certificate verification. Anyone can get one DV. So, you will never know who is on the other side. The communication will be encrypted but there is no being sure with whom we are communicating.

Domain Validation SSL Certificate has a low assurance and minimal encryption, typically for blogs or informational websites. The validation process to obtain this SSL certificate type is minimal. The process only requires website owners to prove domain ownership by responding to an email or phone call. This SSL certificate type is one of the least expensive and fastest to obtain.

Wildcard SSL Certificates

Wildcard SSL certificates are used to secure a base domain and unlimited subdomains. Purchasing a wildcard SSL certificate is cheaper than purchasing several single-domain SSL certificates. OV Wildcard SSL certificates or DV Wildcard SSL certificates are available for purchase. Wildcard SSL certificates have an asterisk * as part of the common name. The asterisk * represents any valid subdomain that has the same base domain.

 For example, the common name can be *.axiom.com. This SSL certificate type could get installed for install.axiom.com, boot.axiom.com, etcetera.

Multi-Domain SSL Certificates

Multi-Domain certificates can secure up to 100 different domain names and subdomains using a single certificate which helps save time and money. You have control of the Subject Alternative Name (SAN) field to add, change, and delete any of the SANs as needed. Domain Validated, Organization Validated, Extended Validated, and Wildcard SSL types are available as well. Here are some domain name examples that can gain security with just one Multi-Domain SSL certificate:

• www.domain.com
• www.domain.in
• www.domain.org
• domain.com
• checkout.domain.com

Having an SSL certificate reflects positively on your business and helps you stay ahead of the competition if they have not still adopted to the latest encryption technologies. Protect your customer relationships to emerge as a trusted brand. It may not be compulsory to use an SSL certificate, but considering the rate at which unprotected web traffic is intercepted and the web servers are becoming compromised, offering right security for online transactions is becoming critical.

Lastly, Google has incentives for websites that have SSL certificates installed. Helping Google to rank your website higher should be at the top of your list.

Reach out to our Layots Cyber-security team if you want to avoid getting hijacked by unscrupulous cyber criminals and you want to make sure consumers feel safe