Which SSL Certificate Do I Need?

Although it’s maybe not the most critical choice you may have to make today, picking the right SSL certificate is still an important choice that has big implications for server security. Picking an SSL certificate is step 37 out of 48 things you probably need to do in order to deploy a new server. Being just one small choice, administrators shouldn’t need to spend days researching or evaluating SSL options.

Picking the right SSL certificate or the best SSL certificate for what you need should be simple and easy.

When picking the right SSL certificate, most people select either by brand recognition or by price. But there’s a lot more that goes into picking a certificate that could have a big impact in your SSL experience.

Which SSL Certificate Should I Choose?

Not all certificates are the same—each is set up in a different way, letting you get the right certificate to fit your specific server environment. Whether you need to secure just one site or multiple websites, there are certificates that help you do that. If you’re looking to establish trust online or do any sales online, EV SSL Certificates add the green bar to your site giving instant trust, increasing sales and lowering cart abandonment rate.

Your SSL choices include the five typical encryption certificates:

  1. Standard Certificate: Secure one domain name
  2. Extended Validation Certificate: Secure one website with the branded green address bar for enhanced trust
  3. Multi-Domain Certificate: Secure different domain names on many different servers (perfect for Exchange Servers)
  4. Extended Validation Multi-Domain Certificate: Secure hundreds of domain names with the EV green bar on every site
  5. Wildcard SSL: Secure unlimited servers and subdomains on one domain

Use a Tool to Make Your  Choice Easier

Not sure which SSL you need? Use one of our tools: our detailed comparison chart or our CertWizard.

Best SSL Certificate Based on Customer Reviews

In addition to comparing providers, features, and options when deciding which SSL certificate to purchase, customer reviews on the actual server tell a different story.

Branding and price mean quickly fade into the background when you read the horror stories that some customers share about their SSL purchase. Whether it’s waiting days and day for a certificate to be issued with no communication from the provider, or rude and non-existent technical support if you get a certificate error, it just might be best to choose which SSL certificate to buy based on customer reviews alone.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.

-Douglas Adams, Last Chance to See

Most high assurance SSL providers will offer the same features, functionality, encryption, and browser compatibility. But when it comes to the SSL customer experience, it’s a different story.

SSLShopper is a great site for independent SSL reviews. The site gives customers the ability to share their experience with their Certificate Authority. Voice of the customer is important and learning from the experience of others.

Customer experience is at the core of the DigiCert Difference. Contact us any time you have questions or need help choosing an SSL certificate.

Posted in 101, Security, SSL