EV or OV SSL: Which one is better?

Introduction to EV or OV SSL

Understanding what makes EV or OV SSL different from each other is like comparing two pairs of shoes. Essentially, both function the same – each one has an x 509 digital certificate. This digital certificate helps with encryption and check someone’s identity. Both need different levels of effort because their features are not identical. It is the same for business validation certificates. The EV and OV certificates that went through extended validation (EV) or organization validation (OV) go through validation on different levels.

They both help confirm and validate an organization’s existence that asked for the certificate from the certificate authority (CA). This creates more trust with site visitors compared to what typical SSL certificates achieve.

 

Business Validation Comparison

There are three kinds of business validation for SSL certificates. The most basic one is domain validation (DV) SSL and it only involves domain validation. The two other kinds which are for business validation include EV and OV.

Organization Validation (OV)

This certificate confirms an organization’s existence. In order to get this certificate, there is a validation process that the company must complete. During this time, the certification centre must guarantee the company’s legal and physical existence. Hence, if the website has an OV certificate, the visitors are going to see a lock in the address bar of the browser. This makes sure that the site has protection from hackers.

Extended Validation (EV)

This is a secure and trusted solution that is used actively by top online businesses in the world. The EV SSL displays the company in the browser’s address bar. This guarantees that the website is secure and reliable. It will be easy for visitors to see that your organization is legitimate. Acquiring an EV certificate is not harder than earning an OV certificate, but it is more secure and trusted. EV certificates give users the confidence that the website is secure. This will increase sales because visitors trust your website.

 

EV or OV SSL: Their Advantages

Their biggest differences are:

• Their different validation levels and the verifications organizations need in order to have them
• The kinds of visual indicators each one gives
• What each one offers when it comes to warranties
• The level of identity that your website asserts
• The cost you must pay for each certificate and which brands sell them

The next thing to find out is the difference in their issuance times. Since OV SSL certificates need less validation compared to EV SSL, you can say that OV SSL is issued within three days. When it comes to the EV SSL, you will normally receive the certificate within five business days.

EV certificates enable several visual security indicators in the browsers. Even if a lot of browsers have stopped using these indicators, there are still many that support them.

One main difference between EV vs OV SSL certificates is the warranties offered by different Cas. Here are the warranties of each:

• The instant OV SSL certificate has a warranty of $50,000. The instance SSL OV premium certificate has a warranty of $250,000.
• An EV SSL certificate that covers one domain only has a warranty of $1 million.

When it comes to the cost and brand of these certificates, you might spend different amounts based on the type and brand that you buy. The OV SSL certificates start at $27.44 a year. The EV certificates start at $72.18 a year. It is important to say that not every brand offers both certificates.

 

Which One is Better?

In general, if the website faces the public, it is suggested to use an EV SSL certificate. This gains more trust and gives the highest level of protection against phishing. For domains that are not public, OV still gives a strong authentication level without benefitting the name bar.

 

Choosing the Right SSL Provider

Once you have decided on which SSL to get, you must know how to choose the right provider.

• Longevity and history – You want to choose a provider that has good roots and anchors of trust. That means, most browsers, applications, operating systems, and devices use them. They must have ubiquity. When talking about Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) that relates to technology, trusting the Certificate Authority (CA) is only where they are embedded. This is very important because no one wants to choose a CA that has low ubiquity, or they have issues with trust anchors.

You must also consider the company’s history and business longevity. If the CA has been there for 20 years, it must be good. They work hard to achieve a good reputation and trust with customers. In addition, they can leverage their expertise and experience in making the best recommendations.

• They must have a valid SSL certificate – Many SSL resellers can fulfil your needs for a cheaper price, but this is not always good. If you do background research, you will find out that most are rogue companies that cannot acquire an SSL themselves. That is because the third-party authority did not approve of them. Choose a provider that has an SSL certificate because this is very basic.

• Platform – The platform’s function is very important because you will interact extensively using online portals. The ease-of-use, interface, flexibility, and workflow support are very important when you use them every day.

You want to choose a platform that allows a user or administrator to easily order certificates using normal workflows. However, they must also extend these permissions to a wider audience. For instance, you could let employees or departments request certificates without giving them full portal access. You can do this by having a public ordering page that looks for approval before issuing certificates.

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• Dedicated phone support – It is a reality that when you deal with IT and web servers, it is almost impossible that you will not have technical issues. That is because web servers are important in having an online business. Make sure that the CA has a team of SSL experts that is there 24/7 to answer all your questions. They must also provide the best SSL support. Aside from email support, they should have a phone and live chat support 24/7.

• Offers tools to confirm the installation of your SSL – Choose a CA that has tools to authenticate the SSL security features and confirm if the SSL certificate was successfully installed. This helps to make sure that you re getting what you paid for and they will not just give you a fake authentication.

• Innovation and automation – While your business is growing, you must make sure that the CA you chose can grow with you. This is especially important if your business involves IoT space. Your CA must be capable of handling high volumes so they can still help you even in the future. You might require thousands of certificates issued every second, and your CA must be able to provide that.

A great CA must have automated lifecycle management. All your credentials and certificates have an expiry date aside from the start date. If your certificate expires and if the CA cannot automate the lifecycle, you will have serious problems and complications with customer service.

Now that you know the differences between OV and EV SSL certificates, you can easily find out what your business needs.