SSL/TLS certificates are the cornerstone of establishing online trust between organisations and users. With an SSL/TLS certificate, you can improve your website’s ranking, acquire more loyal customers, and maintain compliance with data privacy and security standards.
However, not all SSL/TLS certificates are created equal. Compared to basic SSL encryption, a premium SSL/TLS certificate will provide your website(s) with the highest level of encryption, alongside benefits like warranty coverage, user-facing trust indicators, and more.
This blog explores the many benefits of premium SSL/TLS certificates and why you should consider them for reasons other than just better encryption.
What is SSL Encryption?
SSL is an encryption protocol that secures online communications, such as those taking place between web browsers and servers.
Cryptographic digital certificates initially relied on the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol for encryption, but it was succeeded with the TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol in 1999. Nevertheless, both the acronyms SSL and TLS are widely used interchangeably today.
SSL/TLS certificates work by secure online communications with a process called the TLS handshake. In this process, the two parties, typically a client and a server, verify each other with cryptographic session keys that are unique to the session taking place.
The session keys, which consist of a public key and a private key, are used to encrypt the message in transit and after it reaches the receiver. The public key is used to encrypt the message, and only the private key holder can decrypt it.
Wildcard certificates can be used to secure multiple domains with a single SSL/TLS certificate.
What Enhanced Validation Levels do you get with Premium SSL/TLS?
Premium SSL/TLS providers offer three levels of validation for issued SSL/TLS certifications. Higher levels of validation can increase your business credibility and enable you to establish a chain of trust that includes partners, users, and search engines.
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Domain Validation: DV certificates are the most basic type of SSL/TLS certificates. Here, validation is only done on a domain level, without authenticating the business identity behind the website. Getting your domain validated is the only type of validation that a free SSL/TLS certificate can provide for your website.
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Organisation Validation: OV certification goes one step above DV certification by validating the identity of the organisation that owns the domain.
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Extended Validation: EV certification is the highest level of validation for SSL certificates. Organisations that hold EV SSL/TLS certificates go through a deep-level, and often time-consuming, authentication process.
What are the Warranty and Insurance of SSL/TLS?
SSL/TLS certificates come with a warranty that protects your organisation against unforeseen threats. If your certificate is compromised, the CA will compensate you with the pre-agreed insurance amount. Note this will usually be subject to Terms and Conditions.
Warranty coverage varies based on the size of your organisation and the insurance package you choose. For larger enterprises, the warranty coverage amount is typically seven-figure. However, it's important to note that a warranty is often offered for premium SSL/TLS certificates only.
How does SSL/TLS Boost Customer Trust?
Premium SSL/TLS certificates play a crucial role in establishing online trust between customers and organisations.
Customers have become more concerned about protecting their sensitive information online and having an SSL/TLS certificate is one of the most effective ways to communicate to your customers that you're committed to protecting their personal data from being lost or stolen.
For a business entity to get an SSL/TLS certificate, it must go through a validation process with an established Certificate Authority (CA). So, when a user lands on your website, the browser communicates with your website's server and identifies the CA that issued it to assure the user that the website is safe.
In other words, the browser trusts the CA that authenticated your business, thereby trusting your business identity.
What are the Compliance and Regulatory Benefits of SSL/TLS?
Premium SSL/TLS certificates are crucial for meeting the requirements of compliance standards and government regulations concerned with data privacy and security.
For example, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requires businesses that handle online transactions to protect customer card information from being lost or stolen across public networks.
Moreover, premium SSL/TLS certificates provide stronger encryption, extended validation, and other authentication processes that help businesses meet different regulatory guidelines, protect data transmitted between clients and servers, and avoid hefty non-compliance fines and penalties.
These features can help your enterprise meet the complex requirements of data privacy and security standards like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe, which requires all businesses that provide services or products to EU residents to protect their personal data.
What are the SEO Advantages of Premium SSL/TLS Certificates?
Along with its encryption benefits, SSL/TLS certificates can also improve your website's visibility in search engines.
Search engine algorithms use a number of factors to assess the credibility and authority of a website, like speed, content quality, hosting service reliability, and of course, security. Secure websites that use premium SSL/TLS encryption have a much higher chance of appearing on the first page of search results.
Not to mention, if your website doesn’t have an SSL/TLS certificate, the browser will display a warning when visitors click on your website’s link in search engines to tell them their connection isn’t private and that visiting this website will expose their data to security risks.
Moreover, search engines reward websites that use premium SSL/TLS certificates over those that use free SSL/TLS certificates provided by their hosting company.
How is Premium SSL/TLS Part of a Comprehensive Security Strategy?
Premium SSL/TLS certificates form a fundamental constituent of your broader security strategy. An SSL/TLS certificate is your first line of defence against potential cyber threats. It protects data communications to prevent malicious actors from stealing sensitive information.
In a layered security approach, anti-malware solutions protect your network against data breaches and other potential threats, while firewalls keep your network perimeter intact. The role of SSL/TLS certificates here is more of a proactive measure that prevents cyber attackers from intercepting messages that contain sensitive data.
Conclusion
To recap, premium SSL/TLS certificates are fundamental for building and maintaining trust with your users and stakeholders, improving website visibility in search engines, and ensuring business continuity and compliance with major data privacy and security regulations.
You can easily make the jump to premium SSL/TLS without having to change your hosting provider or deal with extended downtime.
The benefits of premium SSL/TLS certificates far outweigh the costs, as they include extended validation, warranty coverage, and more robust encryption.
GlobalSign is your trusted SSL/TLS partner that will help your enterprise establish trust in the online world.
Contact us today to discuss your options!
