SSL Certificates FAQs

While each one supports transaction encryption, the key difference is how these Certificates are validated. Essential SSL is a Domain Validated (DV) SSL Certificate that requires only verification of domain registration to complete the validation and is issued electronically within minutes^†. No paperwork is required. nsProtect™ Secure Basic, Advanced and Wildcard are Organization Validated (OV) SSL Certificates that require full organization vetting to provide higher levels of trust for website visitors and include an SSL site seal for your website.

When you buy one of these specific SSL Certificates you are asked to provide specific information, which Web.com UK will verify, or validate, to prove you or your client is a legitimate business. For example, you may be asked for articles of incorporation, licensing, etc. You move through the various stages of validation using Web.com UK Account Manager. Email communications will also be sent to you to assist you in the process.

When you purchase a Essential SSL your SSL Certificate is issued electronically (no paperwork needed) and within minutes^†, provided the confirmation email has been responded to. You move through the various stages of validation using Web.com UK Account Manager. During these stages you are asked to provide specific information to verify registration of the domain only.

Once all validation is complete, the SSL Certificate is issued electronically and is ready for installation on the website. If the site is hosted with Web.com UK, much of this installation process is automated.

Web.com UK follows a comprehensive validation process to ensure that your SSL Certificate is properly issued. During this process, you are asked to provide specific information, which Web.com UK will verify, or validate, to prove you are a legitimate business. For example, you may be asked for articles of incorporation, licensing, etc. You move through the various stages of validation using Web.com UK Account Manager. Upon receipt of all validation documentation, the process is expedited within one business day^† with the purchase of nsProtect™ Secure Advanced or Wildcard Certificate, and within two to four business days^† with the purchase of the nsProtect™ Secure Basic Certificate or Assured Site Seal.

Once all validation is complete, the SSL Certificate is issued electronically and is ready for installation on the website. If the site is hosted with Web.com UK, much of this installation process is automated.

Making sure your SSL Certificate is recognized by almost all Web browsers is a key element when choosing an SSL provider. nsProtect™ Secure SSL Certificates are trusted by over 99% of all browsers, applications, servers, and clients, including:

• Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5.01 +
• Mozilla® Firefox 1.0+
• Mozilla® 0.6+
• Google® Chrome
• Konqueror (KDE)
• Netscape® 4.77 +
• Opera 7.0+
• Apple® Safari 1.2 +
• Camino 1.0+
• AOL® 5+

Yes. Web.com UK offers and supports 2048-bit SSL Certificates. To get an nsProtect™ Secure 2048-bit SSL Certificate, you need to create and submit a 2048-bit Certificate signing request (CSR) with your order. At this time all of Web.com UK SSL Certificates are required to be 2048-bit.

You can verify that we support 2048 by going to https://www.uk.web.com and clicking on the SSL Certificate indicator. Then select "View Certificate" and "Details". Look for the signature value of the key used to sign the certificate and the key used to request the certificate. If the root used to sign the certificate was not at least 2048-bit in length, then the certificate can not be 2048-bit and will be vulnerable to brute-force attacks. Not all Certificate Authorities are issuing from 2048-bit roots.

The encryption provided by SSL Certificates helps to prevent hackers from stealing private and confidential information sent via the Internet. A website secured with an SSL Certificate provides a safe place for customers to enter sensitive data such as credit card information, bank account numbers, etc. If your client's websites transact business or collect sensitive information, they need an SSL Certificate!

Certification Authorities (CA) are third-party verifiers that authorize and endorse the legitimacy of websites. Browsers inherently trust an SSL Certificate if it is current and is issued by a reputable CA since trusted CAs will only issue Certificates to websites after validating the legitimacy of that site.

In addition to encryption, an SSL Certificate provides identity assurance which proves that the business running the website is who they claim to be. Identity assurance is accomplished through a validation process. Web.com UK offers three different validation processes:

• Domain Validated (DV) SSL Certificates are issued once the domain registration has been verified. No other business verification is required. The validation process is completed electronically via email within minutes^†, pending the completion of process.
• Organizationally Validated (OV) SSL Certificates are only issued after verifying the legitimacy of the applicant's business. This is done by manually checking credentials such as Dunn & Bradstreet number, articles of incorporation, WHOIS, passport, driver's license, etc.
• Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates provide the highest level of Certificate validation and are available to all business and government entities, but are not available to individuals. The EV application process is more rigorous and detailed than for any other Certificate. Validation for EV Certificates will require additional steps, which may include obtaining signatures from several people within the company applying for the certificate, legal verification, etc.

Things to consider when evaluating SSL Certificate providers include the data encryption level, Web browser compatibility, price, and customer support. nsProtect™ Secure SSL Certificates offer:

• State-of-the-art encryption levels-up to 256 bit
• Compatibility with over 99% of Web browsers worldwide
• Competitive pricing. Compare us to the competition

Yes, if your business meets eligibility guidelines. If you have an Essential SSL, Basic, Advanced or Wildcard SSL certificate from Web.com UK®, we are pleased to give you a substantial discount off of the purchase of an nsProtect™ Secure Extended Validation Certificate. To receive your discount, you must place your EV Certificate order with an Extended Validation SSL Certificate Consultant at 1-877-228-1023. Wildcard customers should note that industry guidelines prohibit the issuance of Wildcard EV Certificates. To reap the benefits of an EV Certificate for their website, they may want to purchase an EV Certificate for their main domain and retain their current Wildcard Certificate to cover their sub-domains. If you have an SSL Certificate from a Certification Authority other than Web.com UK, you may still upgrade to an nsProtect™ Secure Extended Validation Certificate at a very competitive price. Please note that industry guidelines require all EV applicants, even those who already have SSL Certificates, to successfully complete the extended validation process before receiving an EV Certificate.

When running on the Microsoft Windows Vista™ platform, Internet Explorer® 7 (IE 7) automatically updates its store of EV Roots. Unfortunately this is not the case when IE 7 is running on Windows® XP. To address this, Web.com UK developed its EV Root Updater Code to automatically update your visitors' Web browsers to support your EV SSL Certificate. The EV Root Updater Code is a simple script that you can embed into the secure pages of your website. The EV Root Updater Code will transparently update the EV Roots stored in your visitors' IE 7 browsers on Windows® XP so their address bars will display as green for your website address.

The Certification Authority Browser Forum (CA/Browser Forum) is a voluntary organization of leading certification authorities (CAs) and vendors of Internet browser software and other applications. Members of the CA/Browser Forum have worked closely together in defining the guidelines and means of implementation for the Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificate standard as a way of providing a heightened security for Internet transactions and creating a more intuitive method of displaying secure sites to Internet users.

The CA/Browser Forum is the industry group that created the guidelines for EV SSL Certificates and those guidelines currently restrict EV Certificates to corporations, business entities (such as sole proprietors, general partnerships, unincorporated associations, etc.), and government entities. For those eligible, the application process for an EV Certificate is more thorough than existing procedures, requiring applicants to provide more detailed information about their businesses for final verification. The extended validation process is intended to enhance the authority of and consumer confidence in the Certificates, and to make it nearly impossible for fraudulent or criminal applicants to receive an EV Certificate.

When you apply for an EV Certificate you will be asked to provide certain types of information about your business or your client's business. This information may include:

• Dun & Bradstreet registration numbers
• Proof of physical address via database listings
• Opinion letter from legal counsel or certified accountant
• Other corporate, financial, and government documents such as Articles of Incorporation, bank accounts, and business licenses
• Government-issued photo IDs

The Certification Authority will review and verify the accuracy of these documents. It may also perform additional checks before issuing the EV SSL Certificate. If the applicant's credentials can't be verified in accordance with the CA/Browser Forum guidelines, then the Certification Authority will not issue the Certificate.

Extended validation is a newer protocol with more stringent requirements. At this time, the validation process is expected to take about 4 to 5 business days once the Certification Authority has received all required documentation.

No. Consumers will see a difference in the representation of the EV Certificate and secure connection (e.g., green address bar), but will experience no change or slowdown in operation or transaction procedures.