A-Z Guide on How to Choose an SSL Certificate

Whether you’re a business owner looking for the right SSL certificate for your own website or a domain provider looking to curate a solid SSL offering for your own customers, here’s our guide to everything you should know about choosing SSL/TLS certificates and what to look for when selecting a certificate provider.

What Are SSL Certificates?

SSL is short for “Secure Sockets Layer,” and SSL certificates are used to secure communications between a website, host, or server and the end users that are connecting to it (or between two machines in a client-server relationship). An SSL certificate confirms the identity of the domain name (for example, Sectigo.com) that is operating the website, and enables encryption of all information between the server and the visitor to ensure the integrity of all the transmitted information.

Why Are SSL Certificates So Important?

Identity theft, hackers, and browser warnings are growing concerns among consumers. Failure to select the right SSL certificate for your website can erode customer trust and lower your rate of completed transactions, negatively impacting your bottom line.

How Does SSL Encryption Work?

Encryption makes use of keys to lock and unlock your information, meaning you need the right key to “open,” or decode, the secured information.

Each SSL certificate comes with two keys:

• A public key, which is used to encrypt (scramble) the information.
• A private key, which is used to decrypt (un-scramble) the information and restore it to its original format to make it readable.

SSL certificates make the public key available through the publicly accessible website, while the private key remains secured on the web server. This creates secure communication because any data submitted from the site where the public key is located can only be deciphered by the site owner.

Where Are SSL Certificates Used?

SSL certificates should be used in any instance where information needs to be transmitted securely. This includes:

• Communications between your website and your customers’ internet browsers.
• Internal communications on your corporate intranet.
• Email communications sent to and from your network (or private email address).
• Information between internal and external servers.
• Information sent and received from IoT and mobile devices.

How to Determine If a Site Has a Valid SSL Certificate

A website without an SSL certificate displays “http:// ” before the website address in the browser address bar. This moniker stands for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol,” the conventional way to transmit information over the Internet. Most internet users are aware that this indicates a website is not secure and historically have looked for https:// and a closed padlock symbol in their browser window to confirm that they are on the site of an authenticated organization.

Other browser symbols indicate that the information may not be secure and the site may be dangerous. This is a warning to the user that they should consider visiting a different site. There may even be a warning page that pops up requiring the user to agree that they want to proceed to a website that is not secure.

How to Choose the Right SSL Certificate for Your Website

There are different types of SSL certificates available, and depending on the type of website you have, the requirements of which type you need will differ. Extended Validation certificates provide the highest level of trust out of all the certificate types, but this level of validation may not be necessary for all sites. Contact our team at Sectigo if you have further questions on which type you may need.

Domain Validation (DV) SSL Certificates

DVs are best for small- to medium-sized businesses seeking cost-effective security with no need to establish site visitor trust. Issuance of a DV certificate simply requires proof of ownership of the associated domain name, which is provided through a simple email validation process. These certificates can be issued in minutes, enable HTTPS, and will display a clear indicator, such as the padlock symbol, in internet browsers.

However, DV certificates do not vet the legitimacy of the organization the website represents and should therefore not be used for eCommerce sites or any other sites that deal with sensitive information. They are, however, a great option for many internal sites, test servers, and test domains.

Organization Validation (OV) SSL Certificates

OV certificates provide the same level of protection as DV certificates but go one step further than simply requiring proof of domain ownership. With an OV SSL certificate, the issuing Certificate Authority (CA) confirms the business associated with the domain name is registered and legitimate by checking details such as the company name, location, address, and incorporation or registration information. This makes the OV certificate a more suitable option for public-facing websites that represent companies or organizations.

Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates

EV certificates provide the highest level of trust by assuring consumers that they are conducting business through a trusted website. For this reason, these certificates have become the industry standard for eCommerce websites. EV SSL certificates trigger high-security web browsers to display a green address bar that includes the name of the company or organization that owns the domain. They also show the name of the issuing Certificate Authority.

Confirmation of the website’s identity, and validation of the organization, is carried out according to the rigorous industry guidelines established by the CA/Browser Forum and involves a strict vetting process that is shown to be effective over the course of more than ten years of real-world use.

EV certificates are essential for large businesses or eCommerce sites as they can enhance credibility by showing discerning consumers that a prospective transaction is with a legitimate recipient and that the site is serious about protecting the data of its customers.

Other Options

Once you’ve decided on a validation level, you also need to determine if you need a single domain certificate or one that covers multiple domains. Multi-Domain (MD), also known as Subject Alternative Names (SAN) SSL certificates, cover up to 250 domains with a single certificate. Wildcard SSL certificates cover one main domain and an unlimited number of subdomains under the main domain.

What You Should Look for in Choosing a Certificate Authority?

As the world’s largest commercial Certificate Authority, Sectigo®, formerly known as Comodo CA, is proactively monitoring for potential threats and attacks, working hand-in-hand with government agencies, browser providers, and our customers, to ensure it is keeping up with the ever changing market.

When evaluating a CA, be sure that it:

1. Follows CA/B Forum Baseline Requirements.

This industry group consisting of Certificate Authorities and browser manufacturers developed standards that each CA must meet for its roots to remain trusted in browsers. These include:

• All information contained within the certificate must be validated to be true through a strict, clearly defined authentication process.
• Certificates must not exceed maximum specified durations.
• CAs must follow guidelines for CA security, certificate revocation mechanisms, audit requirements, liability, privacy and confidentiality, and delegation of authority.

2. Conducts Annual Audits – Both WebTrust and SOC 3
Annual audits are crucial to CA security, yet not every CA makes them a priority. At a minimum, your CA should meet these auditing standards.

3. Maintain membership in the WebTrust Program for CAs
The WebTrust for Certification Authorities program was developed to increase consumer confidence in the Internet as a vehicle for conducting eCommerce and to increase consumer confidence in the application of PKI technology. Sectigo, for example, undergoes an annual audit from Ernst & Young, which validates that:

• The Certification Authority (CA) discloses its SSL certificate practices and procedures and its commitment to provide SSL certificates in conformity with the applicable CA/Browser Forum Requirements.
• Subscriber information was properly collected, authenticated and verified.
• The integrity of keys and certificates is established and protected throughout their life cycles.
• Logical and physical access to CA systems and data is restricted to authorized individuals.
• The continuity of key and certificate management operations is maintained.
• CA systems development, maintenance and operations are properly authorized and performed to maintain CA systems integrity.
• The Certification Authority maintains effective controls to provide reasonable assurance that it meets the Network and Certificate System Security Requirements as set forth by the CA/Browser Forum.

4. Submit to Publish an Annual Service Organization Control 3
The SOC 3 report is published to confirm that the security controls for this cloud service have been examined by an independent accountant. Again, as an example, Sectigo undergoes an annual audit from Ernst and Young, to validate that Sectigo has maintained effective controls over its system as it relates to four core principles: security availability, processing integrity and confidentiality.

To sum it up...

Trust is everything in the world of online business. Investment in technology to protect customers and earn their trust is a critical success factor for any company that does business online or hosts an eCommerce website. The effective implementation of TLS/SSL certificates is an imperative part of website security and is a proven tool to help establish customer trust.

Download the full white paper here.

Compare the different features of each type of SSL certificate here, and contact our team if you need more information on which type would be best for your website.