Types of SSL Certificates

What is a Domain Validated (DV) SSL Certificate?

Domain Validated (or DV) SSL certificates are the fast, convenient, reliable way to add industry-standard encryption to websites and internal systems.Domain Validation SSL certificates are the most basic of the three types of SSL/TLS certificates. While Organization Validation (OV) and Extended Validation (EV) require multiple steps in which the company or organization applying for the certificate is verified, Domain Validation takes just a single step to verify that the person or organization applying for the certificate owns the registered domain. Domain validation can typically be completed in a matter of minutes. However, these certificates do not offer visual indicators in the way of SSL recognition, so they are recommended primarily for websites where information such as usernames, passwords, or credit card information is not required.

What is an Organization Validated (OV) SSL Certificate?

An Organization Validated (OV) SSL certificate is a nice middle-ground between Domain Validated (DV) and Extended Validation (EV) certificates. OV certificates require that a business complete a light vetting process by the Certificate Authority, Sectigo, before being issued. OV certificates offer more SSL and trust indications than basic certificates provide. These certificates typically take between 2-3 days to be issued.

What is an Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificate?

Extended Validation (or EV) SSL Certificates are the highest business level validation for establishing encryption to websites and internal systems.The primary purpose of an EV Certificate is to identify the legal entity that controls a website and enable encrypted communications with a website. The secondary purpose is to help establish the legitimacy of a business claiming to operate a website or distribute executable code. By providing a more reliable third-party verified identity that addresses information regarding the business, EV Certificates may help prevent problems related to phishing, malware, and other forms of online identity fraud.

EV certificates are becoming more and more commonplace in the industry, especially amongst e-commerce sites, as they are used by some of the most trusted sites in the world like Bank of America, Twitter, Paypal, and more. These certificates are identified on websites mainly by the green address bar, the most universally recognized symbol of trust on the web. The only way to get the green address bar on your website is with an EV certificate. Domain Validated (DV) and Organization Validated (OV) certificates do not come with the green address bar.

The main requirement for an EV certificate is that your business must be an official company registered with a government authority.