There are three types of SSL certificates. Each have with varying levels of security. Understanding what kind of SSL certificate is important when doing anything involving personal user data.
- Domain validated (DV) SSL certificate. DV certificates verify the owner of the site. The Certificate Authority sends an email to the website’s registered email address to verify its identity. No detailed information about the company is required, and the DV Certificate is the easiest to obtain and thus have a lowest level of trust.
- Organizationally validated (OV) SSL certificate. The Certificate Authority is required to validate the organization, physical location address and the website’s domain name. The process takes about 2-3 days. OV certificates have a moderate level of trust, and are fine for public-facing websites with lower-level transactions.
- Extended validation (EV) SSL certificate. This is the SSL certificate with the highest level of security and is optimum for sites that deal with sensitive information. Before issuing an EV SSL certificate, the Certificate Authority thoroughly reviews the applicant; The review process entails examination of corporate documents, confirmation of identity, and verifies relevant information through a third-party database.