Sectigo Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates

What is an Extended Validation SSL Certificate?

Every SSL certificate facilitates the same encryption, what differentiates them is functionality and validation level. Extended Validation is the highest validation level, requiring an organization to undergo an in-depth vetting before issuance. An Extended Validation certificate adds a layer of trust by displaying organization specifications inside the certificate details. The first step toward any online business relationship is proving you’re bona fide – that you are indeed who you say you are. An Extended Validation SSL certificate is one of the fastest, most direct ways to accomplish that.

Asserting Your Identity Has Never Been More Important

Approximately 1.5 million phishing websites are published each month. And while an Extended Validation (EV) SSL certificate alone can’t completely prevent criminals from spoofing your website, it serves as a powerful tool in proving the legitimacy of your online presence to your customers. The beauty of an EV certificate lies in its inability to be faked. And as long as your customers know to look for it, they won’t be fooled by imitations.

Some Industries Should Only Use EV

In certain sectors of our economy, establishing and asserting identity goes beyond being a mere recommendation—it becomes a critical necessity. Government websites, from the smallest city councils to national entities, should be properly vetted. These websites and institutions represent some of the most targeted entities worldwide and are highly valuable for malicious activities like spoofing and watering hole attacks. However, the more identity information these sites can provide, the safer the people who use them will be.

Other industries that would most benefit from EV level certificates:

• Healthcare
• Financial
• Insurance
• Education
• Politics

How Extensive is Extended Validation?

Extended Validation sounds worse than it is. Really, all Sectigo needs to do is verify that you are a real business or organization.

The EV process verifies these details:

1. Organization legal name and proof of good standing
2. Trade name/DBA (Doing Business As) if applicable
3. Current business operator
4. Business address
5. Business telephone number
6. Entity controlling the domain(s) listed on the certificate
7. Subscriber agreement authenticity

Don’t forget about the encryption

All Sectigo SSL certificates meet or exceed industry standards. Certificates are either underpinned by the ubiquitous RSA cryptosystem, or elliptic curve based cryptographic options are also available. These certificates facilitated AES symmetric encryption up to 256-bits. It would take a supercomputer thousands of years to crack your encryption, and 4 quadrillion years to guess the private key.

EV SSL Facts

Q. Isn’t EV SSL cost-prohibitive?

A. Not with Sectigo. Yes, some CAs overcharge for EV—but not here. Sectigo EV certificates start as low as $79.84/year, which means that businesses of all sizes can now take advantage of the EV SSL certificate benefits.

Q. What’s the difference between OV and EV?

A. The main difference between EV and OV lies within the level of identity verification. Organizations with EV certificates have undergone the most rigorous vetting process, which verifies the organization’s legal existence, physical location, operational status, and other information. While OV certificates involve some identity verification, the process is not as extensive as with EV certificates.

Q. Is EV-level validation worth it?

A. Short answer: yes! There is no better way for an organization to assert its identity and build trust than through an EV certificate.