What is an SSL Certificate?
SSL stands for "Secure Sockets Layer". SSL encryption is most often used for transmitting credit card, banking, or any confidential information to a web server. SSL certificates must be purchased from 3rd party providers and installed on your web server by your web developer or web hosting company. The reason we normally don't encrypt all of your website with an SSL certificate is because web pages served through encryption relies on more of the web servers resources therefore using more processing power. That's why only the registration forms or payment portion of most websites you visit will have SSL encryption. You can tell if the webpage is encrypted by the URL in the browsers address bar that begins with https:// (notice the "s") vs. http://.
Popular SSL Certificate Providers
There are a variety of options when choosing SSL providers. Much like choosing a hosting provider, payment gateway, or anything else, you'll want to evaluate your needs as an organization and explore what different options have to offer before choosing an SSL provider. Technically the encryption level is what you will be looking for but there is also value in the brand name of the provider which goes towards the trust level.
Five popular SSL providers are:
1. GoDaddy
For one, GoDaddy has a name that people recognize. People are likely to put more trust into a name they know. They also offer solutions on the cheapest side of the range.
www.godaddy.com
2. Verisign
VeriSign is another well-trusted name. In fact, they're probably the most trusted in the game and trust can go a long way, but they are known to be a bit more expensive. I like to refer to VeriSign as the Coke- a-Cola of SSL providers.
www.verisign.com
3. Comodo
Another economical provider with a few different options. I refer to them as the no-name brand of ssl certificate providers.
www.comodo.com
4. Network Solutions
Network Solutions isn't the cheapest, but there seems to have a good brand name based on some of its other products.
www.networksolutions.com
5. Thawte
Thwate is also not on the cheap side, but much like VeriSign, and as the slogan says, "It's a trust thing". It's a popular one and is seen often and people will associate it with security.
www.thawte.com
Selecting an SSL Digital Certificate
So which provider do you go with? There are many providers and they each have several options with various prices. Use the chart below as a guideline (prices may have changed since the writing of this article):
You have a global website that sells high value items or processes sensitive
information:
-
thawte's SGC SuperCert (2 yr $849)
-
Verisign’s Secure Site Pro w/250K Netsure Protection (2 yr $1,595)
You have a website that sells low to medium value items to U.S. customers:
-
thawte's SSL Web Server Certificate (2 yr $349)
-
Verisign’s Secure Site w/100K Netsure Protection (2 yr $598)
-
Entrust SSL Web Server Certificate (2 yr $275)
You have a website that sells high value items to U.S. customers
-
thawte's SGC SuperCert (2 yr $849)
-
Verisign’s Secure Site Pro w/250K Netsure Protection (2 yr $1,595)
You have a website that services the U.S. healthcare or banking industries:
-
thawte's SGC SuperCert (2 yr $849)
-
Verisign’s Secure Site Pro w/250K Netsure Protection (2 yr $1,595)
You have a website that requires provide basic SSL services, and you need a certificate immediately
- thawte's SSL 123 Certificate (2 yr $259)
These are other SSL suppliers that we've worked with but not listed or considered at the time of writing this blog i.e. Network Solutions and Godaddy.
About the Author
Tony Tullio is the Director at Inorbital Inc. and always in search of good web services and useful websites. Let us know of what you think about this topic. Connect with him via Twitter and LinkedIn.