Any website that conducts secure transactions should have SSL encryption. All businesses, from banks to ecommerce sites, need SSL to protect not only financial information of the customers but also to protect the website and its business. Secure Sockets Layers are protocols that allow secure communications to happen in the World Wide Web. Hackers are powerless against SSL encryptions, thus the need for businesses to enforce this protection on their websites. SSL encryptions are often packaged with web hosting companies and it is very important to know what options are available for you and your business.
Listed below are the different kinds of SSL web hosting companies provide their ecommerce clients:
1. Domain validation – Because it is the most inexpensive option, it is also the simplest to accomplish and may not be 100% safe from hackers. For a small additional charge, ecommerce business owners can purchase domain validation wherein the certificate is acquired with very little effort – it actually only takes a few minutes because all ecommerce practitioners have to do is submit the validation of the domain ownership. It provides minimal protection which may discourage online shoppers to transact business with you so this type of SSL certificate is not recommended for those that host shopping carts.
2. Organization Validation – Offering a 256-bit encryption, an Organization Validation SSL Certificate are often invested heavily on by big brands and companies, who are focused on building a positive and professional reputation among its clients in the ecommerce world. Because this requires more effort (companies need to submit documents before being issued an SSL certificate), it costs an average of a few hundred dollars per year. The benefits precede the cost, however, as ecommerce stores are guaranteed the security of their shopping carts and online shoppers can see the details of the company on the website, encouraging trust in the business itself.
3. Extended Validation – The most expensive yet but most secure SSL Certificate of all, the Extended Validation SSL Certificate is actually worth every penny. Extended validation SSL Certificates are ideal for the bank and medical industry. It requires extensive verification by the certificate authority which follows guidelines set by CA/Browser Forum, whose trusted members come from Internet software vendors as well as the legal and audit professions.
True that investing in SSL Certificates will cost you hundreds of dollars but every penny shelled out is worth it because it offers ecommerce shoppers protection and security, encouraging them to do business with you as they are secured in the fact that their financial information will not be compromised.
