This is a pretty common question when making the move to serve a site securely, The answer can be different depending on how your site is built and any third party requirements for any services you connect with and utilize.
To help answer this, Let’s go over what exactly it is that you are buying when you get an SSL Certificate.
An SSL Certificate is a digital document that tells a visitor’s browser or application that your domain has been validated to be legitimate and is allowed to send and receive data securely. These can’t be given out by just anyone and a certified and trusted “Certificate Authority” (Also known as a “CA”) has to be the one who digitally signs the SSL Certificate so that it will work without an error.
At the same rate not just anyone can request an SSL Certificate for any domain. Each level from Domain Validation up to Extended Validation requires control of the domain to complete validation along with access to supporting documentation which relates your business back to the domain being validated.
Sites that use an SSL Certificate and force secure connection can often be identified by a green padlock in the address bar. In cases where the domain owner has purchased a more premium “EV” Certificate you will see a solid green bar mentioning the company name that utilizes this domain accompanied by the padlock.
For all intensive purposes the encryption at play which helps move data back and forward is exactly the same across all levels, you are not paying for a better encryption with a more expensive certificate – You are paying for the higher insurance, added functionality and time spent by the CA performing the more intense validation and verification(s).
Here at GSVR Web Hosting our vendor for SSL Certificates is the company Trustwave who have years of experience in the market and are a reliable choice for your SSL needs. The certificates come with a warranty against the encryption in use and a site seal you can place on your site if desired.
