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SSL Certificate is a data file issued by a certificate authority which is designed to protect the website from data interception by means of encryption.
SSL certificate for an online store: definition, purpose, best choice for you
SSL certificate is a data file issued by a certificate authority which is designed to protect the website from data interception by means of encryption.
If your website is not secured by a certificate, fraudsters can easily get hold of sensitive information on your website (e.g. steal banking cards information during online purchases or user account password).
There is also a risk of your website being hacked or having its content intentionally replaced. Thus, scammers can hack the order form and replace your contact phone number with that of your competitors.
Thousands of websites are hacked every year; therefore, aggregators, browsers, and search engines warn users about potential threats by marking websites without SSL certificates as "Not secure," lowering website search engine positions, and disabling URL redirection. The "Not secure connection" red mark in the browser address bar can deter many users from making a purchase on your website, making you lose dozens of potential customers per week.
An SSL certificate will restore visitors' confidence in your website and improve its search engine positions, traffic, and profitability. An SSL certificate is usually purchased for one or two years.
Types of SSL certificates
SSL are divided into four types:
• DV certificates (with domain validation) are represented by basic certificates. Their main advantages include convenient and fast issuance procedure and low cost, but the downside is that they can only be used for protecting small online projects.
• OV (with organization validation) certificates are represented by standard certificates which have the best combination of quality and value. It usually takes several business days and a small set of documents to get this type of certificate. They are perfect for small and medium businesses.
• EV certificates are represented by premium certificates with extended validation which certify the website's authenticity and security by enabling the green browser address bar. They ensure 100% protection from phishing attacks. Mostly, they are used by large online stores, as well as insurance companies and banks.
• Code Signing certificates are not suitable for online stores because they are designed to protect developers' software.
Other important marks used in SSL certificate names:
• "Wildcard" means that a certificate can be used for multiple subdomains on a single domain. This certificate will allow you to reduce financial and administrative costs if you run several online projects on a single domain.
• "PRO" means a special add-on developed by Symantec which helps bring encryption to the maximum, even if outdated browsers provide poor data security.
If you do business as an individual entrepreneur (e.g. sell crafted items in your small online store), check out whether a particular type of certificate is available to individuals.
How do I choose an SSL certificate?
So what’s the best way to purchase an SSL certificate for an online store?
When choosing a certificate, please pay attention to the following characteristics:
• Brand of the certificate
• Type of the certificate
• Insurance amount
• Encryption
• Security settings
• Availability of the green address bar (for large online projects)
• Certificate issuance process
An increased demand for online security solutions has led to a heavier load on certificate authorities (as well as their failure to provide 24/7 support in many languages), and that is why certificate authorities now prefer working through intermediaries and regional partners, which offer much more favorable prices to their customers.
RU-CENTER is a key partner of four leading global certificate authorities (Geotrust, Thawte, Symantec, and Comodo) which issues its own SSL certificates adapted to the Russian market.