SSL Certificates are tiny files that digitally bind a cryptographic key to an company or organisation.
When installed on a hosting server, such as those that Hosting Australia's operate, it enables the green bar or padlock in site visitors browsers, by activating the https protocol (over port 443), which allows secure connections from a web server to a browser.
Generally SSLs were used on sites to secure credit card transactions, but recently is becoming a must have on all sites, due to Google and browser requirements.
SSL Certificates bind together:
- A domain name.
- An organisational identity and/or location.
An SSL needs to be installed into the server environment that the site is hosted on.
Depending on the type of SSL Certificate there are different levels of authenticating an SSL, as per below:
Domain Validated (DV)
Domain Validated certificates are checked and validated against the domain, either via email, a small text file placed on the site, or a DNS entry. There is no identifying organizational information for these certificates and are considered low end, entry level SSL Certificates.
A RapidSSL is an example of a DV Certificate.
Organisation Validated (OV)
Organisational certificates are thoroughly vetted and generally harder to obtain, so have a higher level of trust. Validation is performed by the issuers team of agents, and cross checked against business registry databases hosted by governments. There is generally a requirement to provide documentation and/or speak in person to the agent performing the validation. As a result, OV certificates contain legitimate business information.
The GeoTrust True BusinessID is an OV Certificate.
Extended Validation (EV)
EV certificates are the highest form of SSL Available. The criteria for issuing EV certificates are is strictly defined by the certificate issuer and a number of checks and cross checks are performed. The vetting process is a lot more rigorous than for DV and even OV certificates. EV certificates improve trust and inspire confidence in site visitors, but giving the strictest possible authentication process. In most cases, EV certificates will also show a green "secure" bar on most web browsers to distinguish the EV secured site from others.
The GeoTrust True BusinessID with EV includes EV.
Once an SSL is installed, users can visit the website via https://, which informs the server to establish a secure connection with the browser. Once established, any web traffic between the web server and the users browser will be encrypted and secure.
