Two SSL Certificates That Help You Stay Safe on The Web

2016 had too much of news that shacked user confidence in cyber security.

Even Mark Zuckerberg fell prey to online hacking. His Twitter (and recently Pinterest) account was hacked by unknown cyber hackers. source

Chief Information Officers, eCommerce business owners, why domestic users are now trying to safeguard their digital assets through rock-solid security provisions.

They hope to find a remedy to some of the pressing cyber security concerns that can cause grave financial losses.

Below are some cause for concern in cyber security.

1. Mobile device hacking

More than 88% of the Internet traffic originates from mobile devices says a recent Cisco study. It is no surprise that the world is indeed is migrating towards a mobile-first world. As with the rapid adoption of mobile devices, also comes the increase in mobile security threats.

Mobile devices; including Android smartphones, iPhones, tablets and phablets do not always have the encryption and security measures that is native to web environments. These mobile devices have inherent loopholes in their operating systems that hackers exploit to steal user information.
The situation is even uglier in corporate environments, where work philosophies like BYOD and VPN are widely in use.

2. Obsolete software

A wide majority of Alexa’s top 1,000 websites do not run on latest security measures or software.

Outdated and obsolete software are open gateways for hackers to enter closed networks. Broken JavaScript versions and systems reaching end-of-life are also considered to be root causes for cyber security concerns.

3. Phishing pitfalls

32% of online customers are afraid that their credit card information will be stolen or compromised in some manner in an online transaction.

Let’s admit it. We all have a lurking fear down our heart when we transact an online payment transaction. No matter how secure the payment gateway is with two-factor authentication or One-time-passwords, it can always broke into by a skilled hacker.

Unfortunately, there is no shortage of skilled hackers in our world. They devise email campaigns that make-believe customers to surrender confidential information which ultimately ends in financial losses.

4. eCommerce security

58% of customers would engage in more online purchases if secure payment provisions are offered.

Like we said before, payment security is one of the prime concerns that is holding back customers from shopping online. Despite the level of security measures taken, even eCommerce giants like eBay, Home Depot, Target, etc. have fallen prey for phishing and user information steals.

• Need for SSL certificates

There are 2 prime reasons why website needs SSL certificate. SSL Certificate enabled HTTPS encryption has become a standard in the web-sphere. Google - the world’s first to-go search engine has already announced that all recent search results will consider security as a major rank signal.

PCI has emphasized the use of SSL certificates for PCI Standards Compliance. Moreover, customers the ultimate judges tend to trust a website with HTTPS encryption more than any other website. From eCommerce to banking, financial and insurance agencies, SSL certificates have become a default requirement.

This is brings us to the question of - “Which are the best SSL certificates in the market today?” Which one should one pay for to secure their website?

For selection convenience, we have chosen two major SSL certificates in the market today. A complete drill-down of these certificates is carried out to help you choose the right one for your website.

• GeoTrust SSL Certificate

GeoTrust is one of the reputed SSL Certificate Authority. Owned by Symantec, the company offers a wide range of digital security products that serve a wide range of websites including commerce, banking, finance and much more. GeoTrust commands a global consumer base of more than 100,000 spread across 150 countries.

What makes them a reliable source for SSL certificates is their speed of issuance. A SSL certificate, including the ones that require extensive paperwork like Extended Validation SSL certificates can be obtained in less than 3 days. As for other basic SSL certificates for domains and sub-domains, the speed of issuance is almost instant.

• Comodo SSL Certificate

Comodo is yet another online security company that has been relied upon by companies since ages. The product range of Comodo SSL certificates include single domains, multiple domains, organization validation, extended validation, UCC Certificates, etc. Comodo does a voluntary audit by Ernst & Young to test any possible loopholes or fallacies in its security protocols.

This voluntary measure increases the credibility of the brand as a SSL Certificate Authority.

A quick comparison of GeoTrust & Comodo SSL certificates

Both the certificates can be compared on 4 major security aspects, namely, Bitrate encryption, trial, guarantee extended and price offered. Other than these factors, the level of security and service standards are more or less identical for both GeoTrust & Comodo SSL certificates.

In fact, the bit rate of encryption also remains the same at 256-bit for both the certificates.

    Free Trial:

• Comodo offers free certificates for limited period depending on the type of SSL certificate chosen. Users can try out the free version before deciding which one to buy.
• GeoTrust offers a definite 30-day free trial post which the certificates can be bought for.

    Guarantee:

• GeoTrust offers warranties that extends from $500K to up to $1.25M depending on the SSL certificate bought.
• Comodo on the other hand offers warranty ranging from $10,000 (Basic SSL certificates) up to $250,000 for Wildcard SSL Certificates.

    Price:

• GeoTrust SSL certificate price range falls in between $50 to as high as $375 per annul. Comodo offers a price spectrum of $8.67 to $366 per annul.

Final Verdict

GeoTrust and Comodo are renowned players in the web security industry. Each of their SSL certificates is devised to help websites stay secure from common and emerging cyber security threats.

It is quite impossible to point out a winner from both of these SSL certificates.

Depending on your security needs and the price budget, a final choice can be made from the above.