Managing SSL certification can be a complex exercise, but we’re here to help with this guide to your various options.
In the middle ages, the Knights Templar established the key processes for the modern system of notary services, banking, loans, and mortgages that we have today. During that era, Knights carried with them documentation that proved their identity, created by a notary, often embossed with official wax seals. The importance of these documents was enhanced by a Papal declaration in 1139 that allowed the Knights Templar to pass freely through any border, pay no taxes, and be granted total freedom from every authority other than the Vatican. Without the documents created by a notary, anyone could impersonate a Knight, and avoid the laws that applied to ordinary citizens throughout the rest of Europe. And when it comes to the worldwide web today, we can draw a parallel with a similar document of authority: the SSL certificate. SSL Certification (or TLS to be more accurate) is a means to verify the source of web pages, domains, and open the door to information exchanges and electronic financial transactions. But how do you pick a good SSL provider? Simple – read on and find out. First of all, we’ve got a list of 10 of our favored SSL certificate providers, although everyone’s needs vary, so following our list, we will engage in an in-depth discussion of all the criteria you should consider when picking the right company for you. As a highly affordable provider of SSL services, Comodo SSL has made some significant headway in the past few years. Much of that success has been the result of very aggressive pricing, with a DV level ‘Positive SSL’ Certification costing just $7.02 (£5.5) currently for five-year coverage. A ‘Premium’ SSL solution only costs $54.09 (£42.6) for five years. That package includes a fully validated certificate,256-bit encryption and a $250,000 (£189,000) relying party warranty. But be warned, validation can take some time if the information required for Comodo SSL to complete the checking process isn’t available online. On the plus side, the company has excellent support people should you have installation or browser issues. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Having operated independently for some years, in 2017, DigiCert has completed an acquisition of Norton’s website security and related PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) solutions. The motivation for this buyout was that Norton managed to convince 90% of Fortune 500 companies to pay for the Norton Secured Seal. These are now DigiCert’s customers, and the company has implemented a plan to transition those using Symantec products on to DigiCert when appropriate. The starting price for an SSL Certificate is $238 (£171) per year, although you might be able to better that with a two-year deal. You can add Wildcard SANs, with pricing starting at $788 per SAN. Based in the US, Entrust has been in business since 1994 and has garnered a reputation as a well-oiled machine for generating certification quickly and smoothly. Entrust was built around a wide selection of security products: ID card printers, authentication systems, credit card printers and a PKI are all among its product lines. With so much invested in secure systems, SSL certificates are considered one of its strongest offerings. Customers especially like the ability to manage numerous certificates across multiple domains from a management console. Prices start at $199 (£154.1) per year for its Standard SSL single site product, climbing to $699 (£541) for a Wildcard SSL covering unlimited servers and subdomains. From what we’ve seen, most customers seem delighted with the service at all levels, seemingly justifying the extra cost over cheaper options. GeoTrust was once owned by VeriSign and then Norton, and due to the sale of the latter operation, it might also be part of DigiCert by now. The business covers three main areas: SSL certificates, Signing Services and SSL for enterprise services. Those looking for SSL certification will find that GeoTrust offers a comprehensive selection starting with domain-level and progressing up to its True BusinessID with EV level certification. Pricing is more competitive at the higher end, so those wanting a single site certificate might want to avoid GeoTrust, but those needing EV or OV level products should take a look. Enterprise solutions specifically tailored to government organizations, healthcare businesses and financial institutions are part of the GeoTrust range.
