SSL Certificates

Secure Sockets Layer encryption is no longer just something for the retail sites online. Today it has become vital for any website which collects user information – even just a name or email address – to have.

So much so that Google has taken the position that web visitors should be warned if they attempt to visit your site and it doesn’t have an SLL Certificate.

At one time SSL Certificates were both costly and difficult to acquire and install properly on a website. But like most things eventually, an easier way is found and becomes available.

Here at BanProNET, we provide this easy way for you at no additional cost. Utilizing the Let’s Encrypt® technology right through your Control Panel, with just a couple of clicks you can create and install a DV (Domain Validation) SSL Certificate that tells the world that they can feel safe visiting your website.

It is worth mentioning the differences in types of SSL Certificates which exist and what usage they’re best suited to.

The lowest level of encryption comes with a DV certificate, which simply declares that the CA (Certificate Authority) validates that the recipient has control over the domain name which the certificate is issued to.

The next level of certificate is the OV (Organization Validation), in which the CA also verifies the name, location, and existence of the organization associated with the domain which the certificate is issued to.

The highest level of ssl certificate is the EV (Extended Validation), where the CA goes to great lengths – including human checks and verifications – to additionally verify that the purchaser is a legal entity.

OV and EV certificates demand more resources and verifications to be issued and therefore come at a premium cost from various CA’s. They also typically have a warranty (basically a form of insurance) against certificate failure.

DV certificates, on the other hand, are rather easy on the CA to issue, so much so that the CA Let’s Encrypt® does so at no cost in their mission to create a more secure and privacy-respecting Web by promoting the widespread adoption of HTTPS over HTTP.

Which Certificate Is Right For You?

The answer to this question depends greatly on what your website and company goals are. In general, the type of certificate is a trust ranking for users with a DV certificate being the lowest level of trust and EV certificates being the highest.

Our recommendation is that if you simply have a content-based website that collects no information from users via forms, or collects only very minimal information such as asking for names and email addresses, then a DV certificate is probably enough to display to your users that their information is safe to provide you.

If you’re operating an eCommerce site where more detailed and personal or sensitive information will be requested from users, such as shipping addresses and financial information for payments, then you’ll want to invest in an OV or better, an EV certificate.