Best SSL Certificates

Any time you deal with ecommerce, sensitive personal information is exchanged. To protect your online shoppers from identity theft or yourself from hackers or fraud, secure socket layer (SSL) certificates are used to let all parties know their info is safe.

SSL is encryption protocol that acts as a key to open the door to your information. The more advanced your SSL set up the higher bit your encryption is or the more complex your key. There are two roads to choose from when deciding on SSL services – own or rent. The upside of renting is mainly cost. It’s much cheaper to live under the larger umbrella of a provider ($40 to $50 a month), then to buy your own certificate ($70-$100 for basic SSL).
The pros of owning your SSL certificate is that your business name appears on certificates which afford a sense of security for customers, and your encryption will never lapse as it could if you were to change providers as a renter.
Another consideration is what level of security you need and if you have multiple domains to cover. A Standard SSL Certificate is commonly used, readily recognized by browsers, and provides 40 bit encryption. It covers one domain name not including sub-domains, and therefore is the most inexpensive type of certificate. The Wildcard SSL Certificate offers the same basic encryption but allows you to register sub-domains.
The next step up in security is the SGC SSL Certificate which provides 128 or 256 bit encryption.
The highest level of security comes with the EV SSL Certificate. These high security certificates offer identity assurance independently verified. This type of protection can cost upward of a $1000.