General SSL Questions
Foundational articles for users trying to understand what SSL is, why they need it, and how types differ.
What is an SSL certificate?
SSL is an abbreviation for Secure Sockets Layer. It is a protocol designed for web browsers and servers to keeps communication safe over the internet. Data sent via an SSL connection is protected by a mechanism called encryption that prevents eave...
Is SSL important for me to have on my site?
The answer is Yes. SSL will protect information like your customers' details, credit card information, etc that is being submitted on your site.Do you have a website where customers have to log in or fill a web form? If yes, it is important that y...
Who or What is a certificate authority?
A Certification Authority is a trusted agency that is authorized to issue, renew and revoke SSL certificates after verifying the identity and legitimacy of the requesting party. Verisign, Certum, and Comodo are all trusted certificate authorities.
What is the difference between domain validation, organisation validation and extended validation?
Domain validation: Domain validated certificates include your domain name in the certificate (not your business or organization name).These certificates are cheaper and usually issued in minutes as the Certificate authority validates your domain ...
What is the difference between high assurance and low assurance certificates?
High assurance certificates include your domain name as well as business registration details on the certificate. The certificate authority will verify your ownership of the domain name and business registration (you will be asked to submit a few...
What is a wildcard certificate?
A Wildcard SSL certificate secures the domain name as well as unlimited sub-domains that share a common base domain. For example, a Wildcard certificate issued to “*.mydomain.com” can be used to secure the following domains: - mydomain.com (naked...
Can I secure multiple domains with a single certificate?
No, this is not possible with the certificates we provide at this time. However, if you wish to secure multiple subdomains of a single domain name then you could choose an SSL wildcard certificate.
Can I secure multiple sub domains on the same domain name with a single certificate?
Yes. The Wildcard Certificate allows you to secure multiple subdomains on the same domain name. So with a single certificate issued to *.yourdomain.com you can protect www.yourdomain.com, secure.yourdomain.com, info.yourdomain.com etc...
Do I have to buy separate SSL certificates for each web page I want to secure in my site?
No. A single Domain SSL certificate covers every page within your domain. If your SSL certificate is issued for www.mydomain.com, then your SSL certificate will work for https://www.mydomain.com/index.htm; https://www.mydomain.com/support/about_us...
What are high security browsers?
Web browsers that recognize SSL Certificates with Extended Validation, i.e. trigger address bar green when connecting to the secured site, are considered to be high-security browsers. For instance, Internet Explorer 7 turns the address bar green a...
What is Browser Ubiquity?
Browser ubiquity is also known as browser recognition or browser compatibility. It indicates an estimated percentage of Internet users who will inherently trust an SSL certificate. The lower the browser ubiquity, the fewer people will trust a cert...
What is encryption strength? And what is the strength of your certificates?
The certificate encryption strength is a measure of number of bits in the key used to encrypt data during an SSL session. The bigger the number, the longer it takes for computer(s) to crack or break the code. **It is strongly recommended to use 12...
What is a Site Seal?
A site seal is an image that shows the authenticity of your website and that it has been validated by a certificate authority. Regardless of the SSL certificate that you purchase, you will be provided with a static/dynamic site seal. With a site s...
Will the Green padlock be seen on the browser?
Certainly, the green padlock will be seen right beside the URL of your site when visited by anyone on the web browser
What is an SSL reissue and when will I need to request it?
Just as the name sounds, SSL Reissue is to reissue a new certificate for the already configured SSL so as to replace the previously issued certificate. Reissuing a new certificate does not change the expiration of the certificate and the new certi...