Home Page Products SSL SSL FAQ

What exactly is SSL?

Put simply, SSL (which stands for Secure Sockets Layer) encrypts information as it's transmitted across the internet, scrambling it so that it can't be read in transit.


Think of it as like one of those armoured vans that's used to transport money around - even if someone does manage to hijack it, the contents should be so well secured that they won't be able to get their mitts on the cash. Performing a transaction over the internet without a secure certificate in place, on the other hand, would be like taking your chances with an unlocked cash box on the bus.

You can tell quite easily if a website has a secure certificate in place - there's generally a little padlock in the browser, and the website address often begins https:// rather than http://







Why would I need a secure certificate?

Are you hoping to take card payments? Maybe have a secure area of your website where people can log in to access more restricted information? Then you'll be needing a secure certificate. Not only is it in your own interests to protect sensitive business data, but without an SSL certificate you could lose custom - it's ingrained in most people now to look for the padlock before trusting a site.







How come they don't work with 100% of web browsers?

We wish they did! They're compatible with the vast majority of web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera, but there is a tiny percentage of awkward souls using incompatible browsers.


There's nothing we can do about this, unfortunately, and you'll encounter the problem with anyone who sells SSL certificates, but rest assured that our certificates are completely compliant with industry standards.







What's involved in the verification process?

Don't worry - as long as you are who you say you are it should all be quite painless! There are three types of verification, performed by GeoTrust or Thawte, and the beefier the certificate the more extensive the checks:


    Domain checks
    A simple check that you're the owner of the domain name for which you're buying your SSL certificate
    Business checks
    Slightly more detailed checks that confirm the identity of your business and make sure that it's a genuine business.
    Extended checks
    More detailed checks which aim to confirm the location of your place of business and that you are the type of business you say you are.

Domain checks only take a few minutes. Business and Extended checks will take a little longer and you may be asked by GeoTrust or Thawte to provide some additional information to help them verify you, but it should still only take a few days.







What's involved in buying an SSL certificate?

It's quite simple. You'll go through our order process as normal, just adding your certificate of choice to your basket. Once you've bought your certificate, head to your My Daily control panel to set it up. Here's where you'll be able to fill in contact details and set the domain with which you'd like to associate the certificate and so on.

If your chosen SSL certificate requires more than basic domain checks, you'll be contacted separately be Thawte or GeoTrust so that they can confirm that additional information - they'll let you know what they need.







Do I need to have web hosting with Daily to use one of your SSL certificates?

Well, of course we'd prefer it if you did! But we'll happily provide an SSL certificate that you can use elsewhere - you can set that up in your Daily control panel just after purchase.







What's all this about the green bar in the browser?

Because you have to pass a few extra security tests with the Extended SSL, you're rewarded with an extra visible sign to potential customers that proves just how trustworthy you are.

Visitors coming to your site from newer web browsers will see, as well as the normal padlock symbol, a green bar within their browser which tells them your company name and the name of the company that provided your SSL certificate, providing extra reassurance that their data will be encrypted.







Which option should I choose?
Just starting out?
The Rapid SSL is a good place to start if you're just starting a new project and would like to protect a login area. If you're planning to accept card transactions, though, you might want to look at one of our more extensive options.
Established business website?
Then Business SSL is the one for you! There's an extra level of security thanks to the increased checks involved, and it also provides protection to customers visiting from mobile devices. If you want the very best, though, Extended SSL is the way forward.
Lots of subdomains to protect?
Our Wildcard SSL is designed specifically to provide protection to multiple subdomains.






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