{"id":651,"date":"2019-09-17T12:20:39","date_gmt":"2019-09-17T12:20:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/?p=651"},"modified":"2020-06-29T12:43:06","modified_gmt":"2020-06-29T12:43:06","slug":"advantages-and-disadvantages-of-wildcard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sectigostore.com\/page\/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-wildcard\/","title":{"rendered":"Pros and Cons of Wildcard SSL Certificates \u2014 An Expert Review"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Is a wildcard SSL certificate really worth buying? Explore the advantages and disadvantages of a wildcard SSL certificate  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Are you looking for the best SSL certificate for securing your website and its subdomains? You may have heard that a wildcard SSL certificate will be the best fit. But is it so? Are there any disadvantages of using a wildcard SSL certificate? You have every right to investigate. After all, a wildcard SSL is almost eight times more expensive than a regular SSL certificate. So, let’s do a quick reality check concerning the advantages and disadvantages of a wildcard SSL certificate. In this article, we\u2019ll weigh the pros and cons of wildcard SSL certificates so you can decide for yourself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Advantages of a Wildcard SSL Certificate  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Cost Savings<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you buy separate SSL certificates for each of your subdomains, it\u2019s going to get expensive. A wildcard SSL secures UNLIMITED number of subdomains under the same certificate. Whether you have 50, 100, 500, or even more, there are no additional charges and no hidden costs! Thus, a wildcard SSL can save your hundreds of dollars.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Easy Certificate Management<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As the company grows, it tends to get more subdomains for new departments, product lines, and facilities. At that time, if you buy\u00a0a\u00a0new SSL certificate,\u00a0you\u00a0have to\u00a0go through\u00a0the\u00a0entire\u00a0certificate signing request (CSR)\u00a0generation, validation<\/a> and installation process again. Plus,\u00a0each of these SSL certificates\u00a0will have different renewal dates\u00a0for\u00a0which you must\u00a0maintain a\u00a0robust\u00a0tracking system. Imagine the operational\u00a0burden\u00a0and costs associated with it!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A single wildcard SSL certificate is capable of covering unlimited subdomains under the same certificate.  <\/strong>Moreover, you can add the subdomains whenever you get them \u2014 even in the middle of the validation period! Thus, you can add an unlimited number of the subdomains whenever you want! A wildcard SSL provides Ease of use and flexibility with one validation process, one-time installation, and one renewal date. Peace! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Multiple Servers Flexibility<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A wildcard SSL certificate from SectigoStore.com can be installed on multiple servers. With many companies, there are often different departments handling different subdomains. For example, it\u2019s a common practice for companies to keep dev.domain.com and test.domain.com for the IT department. In the same way, organizations keep separate subdomains for resellers, suppliers, vendors, human resource department, overseas teams, and for different product lines. For operational ease, organizations often keep these subdomains hosted on different servers. The same wildcard SSL certificate can be installed on multiple servers. All you need to do is to transfer your private key to any additional servers and it’s done! No need for buying individual SSL certificate for numerous servers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Please note that some certificate authorities charge extra fees for installing a wildcard SSL certificate on multiple servers. Some certificate authorities (CAs), like GoDaddy, don’t allow a wildcard SSL to be hosted on multiple servers. But some CAs, like Sectigo, give unlimited servers license. You don’t need to pay anything extra to install your wildcard SSL certificate on multiple servers when you use a certificate from SectigoStore.com. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disadvantages of a Wildcard SSL Certificate  <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Limited Capacity<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s true that a wildcard secures unlimited subdomains. But it has some limitations, too.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It secures only one primary domain’s subdomain. If companies have multiple domains, or domains with different top-level domains (TLDs) such as .in, .org, .net, .au, etc., they need to buy separate wildcards for each of these domains. Or get a multi domain wildcard SSL certificate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same can be said about second-level subdomains. A wildcard covers only first-level subdomains. If you want to secure your second-level subdomains, you need to buy a separate wildcard for the first-level subdomains. For example, if you have a wildcard for domain.com, it will secure mail.domain.com but not usoffice.mail.domain.com. For that, you need to buy a separate SSL certificate for mail.domain.com. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a Wildcard SSL Certificate Does and Does Not Cover:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n \n \n\t \n\t \n \n
Domain.com – Primary Domain<\/th>\n <\/tr>\n
Valid Wildcard Domains<\/th>\nNon-valid Wildcard Domains<\/th>\n <\/tr>\n
\n\t -> mail.domain.com<\/br>\n\t -> test.domain.com<\/br>\n\t -> support.domain.com<\/br>\n\t -> blog.domain.com<\/br>\n\t <\/td>\n\t \n\t -> domain.net<\/br>\n\t -> domain.org<\/br>\n\t -> newdomain.com<\/br>\n\t -> domain1.ca<\/br>\n\t -> chat.support.domain.com<\/br>\n\t -> ukoffice.mail.domain.com<\/br><\/font>\n\t <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n\t<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n

2. Private Keys<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re hosting your subdomains on multiple servers with the same wildcard, you have to share and transfer your private key to each server. When more people have access to your private key, chances for getting it becoming compromised also increase. Please understand that, technically, it\u2019s not a disadvantage of a wildcard SSL certificate, but its more about how you handle your private keys. So, if you decide to host your subdomains on multiple servers with the same wildcard SSL certificate, just make sure the employees managing your private key are trustworthy and efficient.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. No EV Option<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Wildcard SSL certificates are available with domain validation (DV) and organizational validation (OV) only. It\u2019s not available in extended validation (EV) type.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As per the\u00a0CA\/B\u00a0Forum’s rules<\/a>, the certificate authority must go through a rigorous validation process<\/a> every time it approves an EV SSL certificate\u00a0for\u00a0a new domain or subdomain. For wildcards, this rule doesn’t work because\u00a0these certificates\u00a0allow\u00a0an\u00a0unlimited number of subdomains.\u00a0Individual validation for so many subdomains\u00a0would\u00a0significantly increase\u00a0operational cost\u00a0for\u00a0CAs for each subdomain you add.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some companies prefer EV over OV and DV SSL certificates because EV certificates are considered highly prestigious in the industry. For such companies, a regular wildcard SSL won’t work. They still have an option to secure their subdomains with a multi domain EV SSL<\/a> certificate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion  <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Buying a wildcard is a smart choice if you want to save time and money when securing your subdomains. Managing a single wildcard instead of hundreds of individual certificates reduces your operational costs and simplifies certificate management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you choose your certificate authority wisely, you can install the same wildcard SSL certificate on multiple servers for free. But you must be careful while transferring your private keys. Plus, if you have multiple domains, domains with different TLDs or second-level subdomains, or require extended validation, you should consider other types of SSL certificate. i.e., multi domain SSL<\/a>, multi domain wildcard SSL<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secure Unlimited Subdomains with One Wildcard SSL Certificate \u2013 Save 50%<\/h2>\n

Save 50%<\/strong> on Sectigo Wildcard SSL Certificates. It includes unlimited server licenses, reissuances, 256-bit encryption, and more.<\/p>\n

Shop for Wildcard SSL and Save 50%<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Is a wildcard SSL certificate really worth buying? Explore the advantages and disadvantages of a wildcard SSL certificate  Are you looking for the best SSL certificate for securing your website and its subdomains? You may have heard that a wildcard SSL certificate will be the best fit. But is it so? Are there any disadvantages of using a wildcard SSL certificate? You have every right to investigate. After all, a wildcard SSL is almost eight times more expensive than a regular SSL certificate. So, let’s do a quick reality check concerning the advantages and disadvantages of a wildcard SSL certificate. In this article, we\u2019ll weigh the Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ssl-basics"],"yoast_head":"\nPros and Cons of Wildcard SSL Certificates \u2014 An Expert Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore the advantages and disadvantages of a wildcard SSL certificate. Is a wildcard SSL certificate really worth buying? 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