Choose the right SSL certificate to gain your customers' trust

Today’s web users are ever more attentive to their browser’s “padlock area” (https) and turn away from websites that they consider unreliable. To strengthen their brand image, businesses now equip themselves with professional SSL certificates. These SSL certificates are essential to establish a relationship of trust with visitors to your website.

Infomaniak offers three types of SSL certificates to cover the needs of SMEs and individual users:

EV SSL certificates (maximum guarantee and validation)
DV SSL certificates (intermediate guarantee and validation)
Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates (basic security)

In this article you will discover which SSL certificate to choose according to your needs. We will also review the questions concerning SSL certificates that our support team are frequently asked:

Is my SSL certificate suitable?
How do I choose and install the right SSL certificate?
Should I pay for an SSL certificate?
Can everybody obtain an EV SSL certificate?

What is an SSL certificate? What use is it? (an important reminder)

An SSL certificate is a digital “signature” that secures (encrypts) the exchanges between a website and its visitors. It is necessary in order to activate the https protocol, symbolized by the famous padlock located near the URL in all browsers.

Even though all SSL certificates offer the same basic security, they do not offer the same guarantees nor the same assurance of confidence. That is why the choice of the type of SSL certificate is crucial to ensure the best security conditions and to obtain the preference of your visitors.

What type of SSL certificate should you choose or order?

Whether you are the owner of a website or a web agency, it may at first seem complicated to choose or recommend one SSL certificate over another. Nevertheless, this choice is easier than it seems: the type of SSL certificate is determined by the person or body that owns the site to be secured.

For:

Company websites = EV SSL certificates
Private websites = DV SSL certificates
Personal blogs = Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates

Enable or modify your SSL certificate

The differences between SSL certificates

Beyond basic security, Standard (DV) and Business (EV) SSL certificates offer extra advantages that inspire trust at first glance. Businesses do not hesitate to equip themselves with these high-end certificates because they immediately reinforce their brand image:

EV SSL CERTIFICATES: SECURITY + GUARANTEES + TRUST

EV (extended validation) SSL certificates for businesses are issued by Comodo/Sertigo, the world’s leading certification authority. They provide particularly efficient protection against online identity theft and phishing. In addition to encrypting the exchanges between web users and the website, they offer:

Maximum level of validation: manual company authentication
Your brand name in the address bar (the display may vary according to the browser)
A guarantee of $1,750,000 for end users
The Comodo/Sectigo trusted site seal

EV SSL certificates are exclusively reserved for registered businesses. It is a very low-cost investment that nevertheless generates a large capital of trust and security.

Your EV SSL certificate can be activated within 48 hours. Find out more

DV SSL CERTIFICATES: SECURITY + GUARANTEE

DV (domain validation) SSL certificates for individuals are also issued by Comodo/Sertigo, the leading certification authority. In addition to encryption between web users and the website, they offer:

Intermediate level of validation: domain validation by Comodo/Sectigo
A guarantee of $10,000 for end users
The Comodo/Sectigo trusted site seal

DV SSL certificates are designed for both professionals and individuals and can be enabled in just 1 click. Find out more

Free SSL certificates: BASIC SECURITY

Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates are designed for personal websites that do not collect data (e.g., contact forms, names, first names, email addresses) concerning their users. They are issued by a less recognized certification authority, but the encryption of data nevertheless avoids triggering browser security alerts.

In contrast to EV and DV certificates, they are delivered entirely automatically and offer end users no financial guarantee. Consequently, they have limited benefits:

100% automatic validation
No guarantee
No trusted site seal

Free Let’s Encrypt certificates can be enabled in 1 click. Find out more

How much do EV and DV SSL certificates cost?

Less than CHF 70 per year for the highest level of validation.

Whether your website is hosted by Infomaniak or not, we are determined to offer EV and DV certificates at the most competitive rates on the market.

We intend to democratize these high-end certificates to offer greater security to your customers and users.

Compare the prices of EV and DV SSL certificates

How to install an SSL certificate

As with all its products, Infomaniak simplifies the procedure as much as possible. An order for a new SSL certificate can be placed directly via the Manager in the SSL Certificates section.

Just let yourself be guided by the configuration tool to purchase and install a new certificate. Once validated, the new certificate automatically replaces the old one, with no manipulation required on your part.

You can benefit from our low rates even if your site is not hosted by Infomaniak. Just order your new certificate and then export it via our admin console (Manager) and import it to your current hosting service.

In short

Today, SSL certificates have become the standard. For businesses, EV SSL certificates represent a valuable competitive asset in terms of return on investment (ROI) and also strengthen their brand image. Modifying your certificate requires no particular knowledge and the procedure can be performed in a very short time.

Changing or enabling a new SSL certificate

A review of the questions asked during the webinar

What name is displayed to the left of the address bar?

It very precisely corresponds to the company name that has been registered with the chamber of commerce.

What is a Wildcard SSL certificate?

Only available for DV SSL certificates, the Wildcard is a unique type of certificate that covers all the sub-domains of a domain name (***.domain.com). “Wildcard” certificates are optionally available when ordering the certificate.

What is a multi-domain SSL certificate?

It enables the use of the same SSL certificate with several different domains, for example: company.com, intranet.company.com and subsidiary.com. Multi-domain certificates are optionally available when ordering the certificate.

Can a hacker purchase an SSL certificate with a name that resembles my company’s name (e.g.: company.com and comfany.com)?

This is one of the great advantages of EV SSL certificates. They are validated manually on the basis of official registers. The possibility that a hacker can register a company with an intentionally similar name is thus practically cancelled by this first level of registration and verification. That is why it takes around 48 hours to obtain.

Should you choose a multi-domain certificate if you redirect a domain with a country extension (.fr, .ch, .be, .de, etc) towards a .com domain?

Yes. SSL certificates are linked to domains. You must therefore have a certificate capable of covering several domain names, including in the case of a redirection.

Do you have any other questions about EV and DV SSL certificates?

This article presents valuable information about the benefits and technical advantages of EV and DV SSL certificates. It also deals with security questions related to phishing and website piracy.

If you still have questions, do not hesitate to contact our support service, which is available 7/7.