SSL Certificates: In Depth

SSL Certificate Basics

• Definition: Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates are essential for establishing secure connections and encrypting data transmitted between users and websites.
• Importance:
  • Build trust
  • Protect sensitive information
  • Improve search engine optimization (SEO)
• Functionality: SSL certificates use a public and a private key to establish an encrypted connection.

Types of SSL Certificates

• By Validation Level
  • Domain Validation (DV): Verifies domain ownership.
    • Provides the lowest level of validation.
    • Suitable for basic websites.
  • Organization Validation (OV): Verifies both domain ownership and organization information.
    • Provides a higher level of assurance than DV.
    • Suitable for businesses.
  • Extended Validation (EV): Requires rigorous validation of the organization’s identity, including physical location and legal existence.
    • Offers the highest level of authentication.
    • Suitable for e-commerce and organizations handling sensitive data.
• By Number of Domains
  • Single Domain: Suitable for one domain.
  • Wildcard: Secures a domain and its subdomains.
  • Multi-Domain: Covers multiple distinct domains.
• Self-Signed Certificates: Signed by the website owner rather than a trusted authority.
  • Offer the same level of encryption as certificates issued by certificate authorities (CAs).
  • Not recommended for websites with anonymous visitors.

Certificate Authorities (CAs)

Reputable CAs validate the authenticity of organizations applying for SSL certificates.

• Importance: Crucial for ensuring the trustworthiness of SSL certificates.
• Selection Criteria: Consider factors like history, market share, customer reviews, and price.

SSL Certificate Selection Factors to Consider

• Number of domains to be secured
• Type of website
• Budget
• Customer’s trust
• Business location

SSL Best Practices

• Choose a reputable CA.
• Consider additional features like security seals, warranties, and malware scanning.
• Prioritize responsive and helpful customer support.
• Regularly renew SSL certificates to maintain website security and avoid browser warnings.
• Update the website to use HTTPS after installing an SSL certificate.

SSL Certificate Compatibility

To determine SSL certificate compatibility, consider your domain’s structure and the type of SSL certificate needed. Businesses using a single-domain approach have different SSL requirements than those with a multi-domain site and subdomains. There are three primary types of SSL certificates based on the number of domains:

• Single-Domain SSL: Ideal for securing a single domain and all its pages.
• Multi-Domain Certificates: Secure multiple domains, simplifying tech support and maintenance compared to individual certificates. These certificates do not secure subdomains.
• Wildcard Certificate: Secures a single domain and an unlimited number of subdomains. This type is beneficial if a company’s blog is on one subdomain and the catalog is on another.

If you encounter difficulties understanding your website’s structure, seek assistance from your tech team or website developer.

Verifying SSL Certificate Quality

When choosing a Certificate Authority (CA) to issue your SSL certificate, you should select a reputable CA that has a history of offering its clients quality security. Consider the CA’s history, market share, customer testimonials, and any negative press. Price is also an important factor to consider. The average cost of an SSL certificate is $60 per year; however, pricing varies based on your website’s security needs. Choose a CA with good customer support so that you can get immediate action if something happens with your SSL certificate.

Additional Features

• Security Seal: In addition to https:// and the green padlock beside your domain name, some CAs offer a security seal. The seal indicates that your website is secure. Webmasters often place these seals on payment pages to assure potential buyers.
• Warranty: If a customer experiences a cyberattack on your site, some CAs will compensate the customer as part of their warranty. A warranty is a value-added feature that can protect you from lawsuits.
• Malware Scan and Removal: Some CAs offer malware monitoring for your domain. This can help rid your platforms of trojans and other harmful elements. Some CAs may also offer advanced features like DDoS protection.

Verifying SSL Installation

After you install an SSL certificate on your web server, you should always check to verify that it’s set up correctly. Qualys SSL Labs is a reliable, free SSL check tool. You can choose to hide the public results.

Other valuable tools:

• The Mozilla Observatory
• Why No Padlock?
• DigiCert SSL Installation Diagnostics Tool

You can also check the SSL certificate’s validity by clicking on the padlock icon near a website’s address bar. You can view the certificate details, such as the expiry date and the valid duration. To learn more, click ‘More Information.’ You will be taken to a website with more detailed information. To determine if a website has an SSL certificate, check to see if its URL starts with HTTPS.

The source makes no mention of other ways to verify the quality of an SSL certificate. You may wish to verify this information independently.

Tools for Verifying SSL Certificates

After installing an SSL certificate, you should always verify that it is set up correctly. The free SSL check tool from Qualys SSL Labs is a reliable option for verifying SSL certificate installation. This tool can perform a comprehensive analysis of the SSL installation and server. Qualys SSL Labs can be used to check a variety of certificate parameters, including the issuer, validity, and algorithm used to sign the certificate. It can also be used to test protocol details, cipher suites, and handshake simulation.

DigiCert also offers a free SSL Installation Diagnostics Tool.

The following tools can be used to verify the implementation of chain certificates:

• SSL Labs
• SSL Store
• SSL Shopper
• com

What’s My Chain Cert can be used to test if a server is serving the correct certificate chain.

You may wish to verify the accuracy of the information in this response independently.