Pair Networks Blog Security,SEO FAQ: SSL Certificates

FAQ: SSL Certificates

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What is an SSL certificate? How does it work? Do you really need one? Learn everything you need to know about SSL certificates with this FAQ post!

Click on the questions below for information about SSL Certificates:

What is an SSL certificate?

Why do I need an SSL certificate?

Which SSL certificate should I get?

How much do SSL certificates cost and is bulk pricing available?

What is a Relying Party Warranty?

How do I get an SSL certificate?

If I renew my SSL certificate early, will I lose days I already paid for?

What happens if my SSL certificate expires?

What’s the difference between paid and unpaid SSL certificates?

 

What is an SSL certificate?

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer and is designed to protect your website visitors and their private information. It creates an encrypted link for your domain to protect information from being stolen while it’s traveling between your server and the browser. Information such as credit card numbers or social security numbers could be at risk if someone enters them onto your site without the added protection of SSL technology.

An SSL certificate tells browsers that you and your website are trustworthy. Just as you might require an ID to board a plane or go to a bar, your website needs an ID to show web browsers and site visitors that you are legitimate.

Read more: What is an SSL Certificate?

 

Why do I need an SSL certificate?

There are several reasons why you may need an SSL certificate. Having an SSL certificate can improve your website’s SEO. It can also help you stay compliant with payment processing regulations and establish your website’s credibility.

As of October 2017, a Google Chrome update will warn users away from your site if it’s not SSL Certified. The SSL certificate helps protect your site from impersonators by encrypting private information users submit on your site. When you have an SSL certificate, Google Chrome will reward your site with improved search rankings and it won’t issue a warning to users trying to enter your site. Depending on your level of protection, you can even get a green lock icon to appear in the address bar when people visit your site.  

The green lock icon or other safe browser bar indicators will also help you establish yourself as a credible website. Users will know it is safe to engage and interact with your website when they see that it’s verified with a safe browser bar.

The Payment Card Industry (PCI) requires that websites use SSL certificates among other security measures including security assessments and regular scans. You need an SSL cert to be PCI compliant and keep your customers safe.

 

Which SSL certificate should I get?

SSL certificates all use the same technology to secure your website. The main difference between the different types of certificates are features and the vetting process. At pair Networks, we have five main types of SSL Certificates available:

 

pairSSL Positive

Get certified quickly with the pairSSL Positive cert. At only $10 a year, this certificate is the quickest one to obtain because the vetting process isn’t as extensive as other types. It includes a $10,000 relying party warranty, but no security seal. We recommend the pairSSL Positive cert for personal websites, internal-use sites, and SSL beginners.

pairSSL Basic

The pairSSL Basic certificate is essentially the same as the pairSSL Positive certificate except with a larger warranty of $250,000. We recommend pairSSL Basic for businesses and organizations with non-payment sites. You can get the Basic certificate for only $59 a year at pair!

pairSSL Premium

You can get the pairSSL Premium certificate for less than $80 a year at pair Networks. We recommend the Premium certificate or single-domain sites that want the secure seal in the browser bar. It also comes with a $250,000 relying party warranty.

pairSSL Extended Validation

For businesses and organizations that do collect private payment information, we recommend the pairSSL Extended Validation certificate. The pairSSL EV certificate takes a little longer to acquire because it requires a more extensive vetting process. This certificate includes a $250,000 warranty and a secure seal in the address bar so users know your site is secure. At pair Networks, you can get started with the pairSSL Extended Validation for less than $500 a year!

pairSSL Wildcard

You can secure your domain and multiple subdomains with the pairSSL Wildcard certificate. Get Wildcard-certified today for less than $500 year at pair Networks!

Get your SSL Certificate today with pair Networks, a trusted SSL provider.

Read more: What Kind of SSL Certificate Do I Need?

How much do SSL certificates cost and is bulk pricing available?

You can get SSL certificates for as little as $10/year at pair. pairSSL certificates have a wide range of options starting with our single-domain pairSSL Positive for only $10. If your website needs the highest level of SSL certificate validation, you may find the pairSSL Extended Validation certificate more useful. Or if you have multiple domains, you may want the pairSSL Wildcard cert. The cost of SSL certificates depends on what your website requires.

pair Networks offers special and bulk pricing under certain circumstances. Please call to discuss special pricing with our Sales Team: 1.877.724.7638

What is a Relying Party Warranty?

In the event that your SSL certificate malfunctions and your sites get hacked, you can get reimbursed for some of the money lost because of an attack. Different certificate s come with different warranty amounts. You can check out the pairSSL page to see specific warranty amounts for our certificates, which range from $10,000 to $250,000.

How do I get an SSL certificate?

Follow these steps or refer to our Knowledge Base to enable your SSL cert from the ACC:

  1. Log in to the ACC
  2. Select Add Ons
  3. Select Secure Server SSL
  4. Select Confirm Secure Server Upgrade

Please contact our Support Team ([email protected]) if you have trouble accessing your SSL certificate. Or, call our Sales Team (1-877-724-7638) for more information on certificate types and prices.

If I renew my SSL certificate early, will I lose days I already paid for?

If you renew your SSL cert too early then, yes, you will lose some days you already paid for. To avoid losing days on your SSL certificate, renew it within 90 days of expiration. If you renew your SSL certificate 90 days before it expires, you won’t lose any of the days you already purchased. Most SSL certificate authorities will send you a reminder email or notification within that 90 day period.

What happens if my SSL certificate expires?

If your SSL cert expires, your domain will no longer have an added layer of protection against hackers. Without SSL protection, your website isn’t as secure and you won’t have the secure lock symbol in the address bar. So, not only will your site be vulnerable, but you’ll also lose credibility because your users will see that your SSL certificate expired.

What’s the difference between paid and unpaid SSL certificates?

Free SSL certificates such as Let’s Encrypt are more limiting than paid SSL certificates, but still effective for small sites that don’t process payments. Most free SSL certificates only offer domain validation and are not equipped to handle transactions on e-commerce sites. They also have a shorter lifetime than paid certificates. If you don’t have an e-commerce site, then Let’s Encrypt may be right for you! Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates are easy to add to your domain and don’t cost anything. They do expire after 90 days, but if you add Let’s Encrypt to your domain through the ACC, pair will automatically renew your free SSL certificate for you!

Find out how to get a Let’s Encrypt certificate here!

Thank you for your interest in pairSSL certificates! If you’re still not sure which type of certificate you need, then give us a call at 1.877.724.7638. We look forward to hearing from you!

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