Shared vs. Dedicated SSL Certificate

Secured Sockets Layer or SSL is a necessity of running an ecommerce website primarily because it encrypts information from customers that is sensitive and subject to theft and fraud. In fact, many browsers now alert users if website content is not secure and advise them against entering any personal information. Obviously, for the protection of your customers and your own business SSL is needed to run a website where an exchange of information is necessary.

The way SSL works is that it scrambles or encodes information and the only way to unscramble or decode it is with the proper “key”. Your users are assured of their security through a certificate which is issued to them identifying your business.

The certificate is the main difference between shared and dedicated SSL. With a shared SSL you are borrowing the encryption protocol from your ecommerce host, for a fee of course, and their name and possibly your business name appear on the certificate. The main advantage with shared SSL certificate is price. It is considerably less than having a dedicated or private SSL.
However, the upside of making the investment in your own SSL is that your name only appears on the certificate which may eliminate any doubt or confusion on the part of your customer. Also, you alone have access to your customer’s information.