Comodo PositiveSSL Wildcard vs. EssentialSSL Wildcard Certificate

The virtual world has decreased the geographical distance and made the real world as local. Every single person around the world is connected with every other person via the Internet. Due to such connectivity, a tremendous amount of data is shared on a daily basis over the Internet. SSL provides a safe environment within which you can share data and avoid Internet security threats.

It is important to use Comodo SSL certificate for sensitive data but it is even more important to understand which SSL certificate to use out of a number of different SSL products. There are a vast number of SSL certificates available and these may or may not fall under the same brand.

Depending upon the purpose, you can choose from the list such as Single domain SSL certificate, multiple domain SSL certificates, wildcard certificate, free SSL certificate and so on. Normally, people find it difficult to differentiate one certificate from another, such as Comodo Positive SSL Wildcard certificate and Comodo Essential SSL Wildcard certificate.

The main purpose of the Wildcard SSL certificate is to secure the main domain and all its first level sub-domains. Wildcard only provides security to a certain level of sub-domains, but it is widely used because it saves time and is cost effective.

Comodo Positive SSL Certificate: Comodo is an entity that issues or grants,or we can say that it is a Certification Authority (CA), which provides a list of SSL certificates. Positive SSL Wildcard Certificate is the part of ‘Positive’ product range provided by Comodo, which are less costly as compare to other SSL wildcard products available in the market. List of few products of Comodo Positive range are:

Comodo Positive SSL
Comodo Positive SSL Wildcard
Comodo Positive SSL Multi-domain Wildcard SSL

Comodo Essential SSL Certificate: As mentioned above, Comodo provides a variety of SSL products depending upon the cost as well as the level of security. Other than Comodo Positive range, it also has Essential range, which contains only two products:

Comodo Essential SSL
Comodo Essential Wildcard SSL

Difference between the two

Rating: User’s trust rating of Essential SSL Wildcard is much higher than that of Positive SSL Wildcard, and this difference in rating is due to high level of security features provided by Essential product range.

Price: The main difference between the two is mainly the price. Positive SSL Wildcard is cheaper than the Essential SSL Wild card. For small and medium level websites, people prefer Positive Wildcard. But when websites need to carry financial transaction or sensitive data, Essential SSL wildcard is preferred.

How To Fixed Mixed Content Warnings?

Mixed Content Warning: Prefix https:// indicates secure and protected connection and data. It is assumed by the visitor that the site is completely protected by a positive SSL certificate. But in case, the site does not contain completely protected contents, the user’s browser will trigger a mixed content warning. This warning simply means that the site contains a combination of both secure (https://) and non-secure (http://) data.

There are some sites, where the home page is served over https:// but the rest of the content or linked web pages are non-secure. In such a scenario, it is easier for the hacker to read as well as modify the content of that page, which makes it highly insecure. On seeing a mixed content warning triggered by the web browser, the visitor can choose from either of the two options given below:

1.    Neglect the warning and continue (compromise internet/data security)
2.    Leave that page immediately presuming internet security threat.

It is better to configure a site without compromising internet security and serve secure content over the internet. With the use of https://, data is secured in an encrypted form. This does not allow the hacker to modify content. If links present on secured page redirect to http:// resource, you must keep it in mind that by clicking on such link, you will be redirected to a non-secure web page. By visiting such a page, your browser will issue a warning about security risk; it is called Mixed Content Warning.

How to Fix Mixed Content Warning?

Once you succeed in finding mixed content your half of the task is complete. Fixing this issue is as simple as adding ‘s’ to http:// and convert it to https://. Simply follow a few simple steps to resolve mixed content warnings:

•    Ensure that all the contents are served through https:// connection.
•    If a warning occurs, search for that page and switch to https:// instead of http://.
•    To do this, first check the availability of resource over https:// connection.
•    Copy and paste http:// URL into a new web browser and add “s” to http, i.e. https://.
•    If it is available, then make changes in your source code.

Conclusion

It is better to avoid a problem than looking for solutions it has caused. Whenever you load any kind of data or image on your website, make sure to serve it in a secure manner. Link all the pages of your site with SSL certificate. Make sure to use https:// prefix URL. If in case, you accidentally upload insecure content or image, search for it and make necessary changes. This will affect customers’ confidence and will help in building trust.

If you need more information regarding this or you need help in getting a positive SSL certificate for your website, we are just a call away. Give us a call on our toll-free number+1 (888) 606-7330 or write us on info@thesslstreet.com, our team of experts will be happy to assist you.

Importance of Intermediate SSL Certificates

SSL Certificates: 

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral.  SSL allows confidential information such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, or login credentials to be transmitted securely. Without SSL, data sent between clients and servers is sent in plain text–which makes it really easy to be intercepted.

Intermediate SSL Certificates:

It is a subordinate certificate, which is issued and signed by the trusted root certificate. It is signed specifically to issue end-entity server certificate. Major web browsers have a list of trusted root certificates, which is the foundation of SSL certificate. This list ensures that the SSL certificate being issued is valid and trustworthy. It is important to understand that root certificate do not sign every certificate. In such a situation, intermediate certificates come into play. Intermediate certificate falls in between the root certificate and the end-user SSL certificate. It is basically used to sign SSL certificate of end-user, which is used on a website and completes the digital SSL security chain.

Importance of Intermediate SSL Certificates:

In case of missing intermediate SSL certificate, various browsers act differently. Whether you are accessing for mobile devices or desktops, every browser is designed to act differently in such cases. For example:

• Google Chrome will immediately go out and fetch a missing intermediate certificate.
•  Firefox will look for any saved intermediate certificate from another website or previous session.
•  Sometimes Firefox triggers security warnings, in case of missing intermediate certificates.
•  While browsing over mobile devices, missing intermediate certificate generates a security warning. There can be cases where browsers have issues with improper installation of intermediate certificates.

For a secure and uninterrupted session, it is best to install an Intermediate SSL Certificate.

Conclusion:

For the above article, it is clear that intermediate certificates are important for Internet security purposes. Every time you install an intermediate SSL certificate, make sure it is installed properly because one missing link can trigger warning and visitors may abandon your website. After installing, renewing or updating an intermediate SSL certificate, it is important to test it. Better to check than to repent.

Give us a call on our toll-free number +1 (888) 606-7330 or write us on info@thesslstreet.com, our team of experts will be happy to assist you.

Things You Should Know About SSL Certificate

SSL certificate is highly recommended where details like credit card number, bank details etc are required. SSL certificate Makes any site more reliable. E-commerce is very common nowadays, due to lack of time most of us prefer online shopping. But what if the e-commerce site is not secure? Most of us will prefer to search for a link which is more secure and reliable. Not only e-commerce sites but all the sites that handle sensitive information or personal information should opt for SSL Certificate in order to provide data security. It not only provides security but also enhances search engine ranking. These are the reasons why an SSL Certificate is a must.

Benefits of SSL

• Rock-solid security: Comodo's SSL certificates provide up to 128 or 256-bit encryption for maximum security of your website visitors' data
• Boost customer confidence: Many customers actively look for the SSL lock icon before handing over sensitive data. Get an SSL certificate to increase your customer's trust in your online business.
• Better SEO rankings: Google gives higher rankings to websites secured with SSL certificates. Which means SSL certificates are critical if you're serious about your online business.
• Comodo Secure Seal: Your certificate comes with a Comodo Secure Seal that serves as a constant reminder to customers that your site is protected
• 30-day money back guarantees: All our SSL certificates come with a 30-day Money Back Guarantee. No questions asked.

There are certain things that should be kept in mind before acquiring SSL Certificate:

IP address: SSL is linked to an IP address to provide security to the domain/site. So it becomes very important to have a dedicated IP address in order to secure it a 100%. Although SSL certificate can be used in a shared environment as well.

Which SSL to opt for: There are dedicated SSL as well as Shared SSL. Shared SSL is normally free of cost, no support service and the link are not that secure. Whereas Dedicated SSLs have good support service and cost money but is completely owned by one user only, this is highly recommended for e-commerce sites.

Encryption level: Depending upon the purpose of SSL certificate, there is an availability of various level of encryption. For example: For blogs, the level of security required is less than that of any e-commerce sites. So before accruing SSL certificate, one should be aware of the level of encryption.

From whom: There are quite a number of companies that sell SSL certificate but are these companies reliable or trustworthy? I would suggest to go for a good brand or CA (Certificate Authorities), especially, when we are talking about the security of e-commerce sites.

Tenure: Minimum tenure for validation of SSL certificate is one year. But it depends upon requirement, service, and cost, which one would suit you the most. 

Reasons To Use Digital Certificate For Mobile Authentication

Mobile has become an integral part of our lives. It has replaced laptops and desktop to some extent.  No matter where you are, you have this ‘mini work station always with you’ in your pocket all the time. It gives you the freedom to move around the world while staying connected with your employees and officials. Although this connectivity works in the favor of enterprises, it has also opened doors for security threats. Now the question arises how to overcome such threats. The answer to this is simple; with the help of certain tools and software that protect our mobile devices.

There are many benefits to using digital certificates for mobile authentication. For better understanding, let us understand them in detail:

1. No more complex passwords issues:  Normally for different applications, we tend to use different complex passwords. It is difficult to keep all the complex passwords in mind. Few issues with such complex passwords are:

a.    You may forget one or the other character of the password
b.    You may forget the complete password of a particular application.
c.    There are chances that you may re-use the same password for different applications (security threat)
d.    Have it written down somewhere (security threat)

With certificate-based authentication, employees can access emails and cloud-based applications swiftly, without any hassle. By simply installing the certificate on corporate devices, an employee can safely access different applications without the need of one-time password token or any other biometrics.

2. BYOD friendly: Digital certificate supports BYOD, hence is beneficial for both, employees and employer. Along with preserving control over corporate networks and data, it also maintains user’s privacy. In case the employee resigns or device is stolen, the digital certificate can be revoked.

3. Public Key Infrastructure: PKI is a widely accepted technology, which is trusted by major organizations and is industry recognized. It is used for authentication of users, devices & machines and servers within the organization.

4. PKI for authentication of the mobile device: It has been used with a digital certificate by many organizations. For example:

a.    Server authentication
b.    User authentication
c.    Digital signature
d.    Email encryption

Instead of wasting time and money on integrating new technology and services, it is far easier to expand PKI to the mobile device. This not only about a lot of money but also time, which otherwise will be consumed for learning the following:

a)    New system
b)    Setting up new policies
c)    Training staff

5. Security:  Hackers are smart enough to hack the password database and misuse them. To guard the database from such attacks, digital certificates are used. It not only helps in increasing security standards but also reduces reliance on passwords for authentication.

6. Mobile OS: Digital certificates work well with various popular operating systems like Android, Blackberry, Windows, and iOS.

7. Easy to install and manage: Most of the organization uses invasive, expensive and all-inclusive solution. A digital certificate does the same with a much lesser cost. Easy setup, less end-user interaction and easy to use, is what makes it easy to install (regardless of the OS used). After installation, it can be managed by cloud-based ‘Managed PKI’ platform. This makes the work of IT staff much easier.

If you need more information regarding Digital Certificate. Give us a call on +1 (888) 606-7330. We will also help you to provide Comodo SSL Certificate for domain and sub-domain to secure your online business website.

How To Choose A Genuine SSL Certificate Provider For Your Business Website

If you run a website or are related to E-commerce industry, you know the importance of SSL certificate, website security and authorized SSL provider. Searching for the correct SSL provider is quite a tedious task, there is no doubt about it. There are ways to find out whether the SSL provider you have genuine or not. To find out the authenticity and legality of SSL provider you need to know about certain things, which we have listed below.

 This list of questions will help you in finding whether the SSL provider you have chosen is genuine and is actually what he is claiming to be.

1. Does certificate providers have valid EV certificates?

EV certificate is an Extended Validation Certificate, which is a type of SSL certificate. It offers the highest level of online protection as compared to other categories of SSL certificates. EV certificate maintains a list, which contains the following credentials of a business:

Physical address
Phone number
Official E-mail ID
Other important details about the business

2. Is SSL certificate their prime product?

Sometimes we neglect such minor things but it does matter when it comes to Internet security. If your certificate provider mainly focuses on SSL certificates, this ensures that better services will be provided. Some of the SSL providers may offer you the combo of certain products along with the SSL certificate and will ensure you that this will be more beneficial. But what they promise is way beyond reality. So make sure that your certificate provider’s prime product is SSL certificate. This ensures quality online protection.

3. Do they offer a variety of SSL certificates?

SSL certificate is categorized into three main categories depending upon the level of encryption. It totally depends upon your business type and requirement, which certificate to choose from. It is SSL provider’s responsibility to understand your requirement and issue appropriate SSL certificate, which is right to provide the security level you require and fulfill your business’s requirement.

4. Do they provide after sale support whenever required?

The Installation process of SSL certificate is not as easy as you may think. It is a complicated process, which at times requires some kind of technical assistance or support. It is difficult to complete the process of installation without the support of the certificate provider. Even help from certificate provider is required for renewal of these certificates when existing certificates are about to expire. So it is important that the live support system is always working for providing instant support to its customers.

5. What about customer testimonials?

In the virtual world, most of the businesses and services do not have the face. So it becomes important to check testimonials, which act like witnesses for proving the genuineness of the online products and services. To check the credibility of SSL certificate provider, testimonial plays an important role. So even before going for a renowned SSL provider, checking other customers experience is the smart option rather than regretting later. Look for answers to various questions before finalizing the certificate provider, such as:

1. What existing customers have to say about the certificate provider?
2. Can you count on these people and on testimonials provided by them?
3. Are they satisfied with after sales support?
4. Were issues resolved in minimum time duration?

Before finalizing SSL certificate provider for your business, consider the above-mentioned points and then take the decision. Spend a good amount of time in reviewing and making a list of all the providers. This will help you in choosing the right Comodo SSL provider to solve your purpose. But if you still have questions or concerns, give us a call at +1 (888) 606-7330.

Some Advanced Features Of Smartphones Can Protect Your Privacy

To catch up with a fast pace life, maximum people around the world are using Smartphones. Initially, these were used to just make calls on the move, but with advanced technology, it has changed the way we look at phones. Along with making calls, Smartphones are used for various other things like sharing photos, making video calls, checking bank details, shopping online, playing games, texting etc. It is like a mini computer for your pocket. As the use of smartphones is increasing, it has become important to protect the data, which is stored in it and more importantly to maintain your privacy. We need to save our smartphones from hackers, malicious software and intruders, especially in the cases where your phone is stolen or lost.  It becomes important to protect your smartphone from being misused and data being stolen as there are opportunistic people all around you looking for a chance to hack your information, misuse your personal data and steal your identity.

When we buy a smartphone, it comes with some inbuilt features and by using these advanced settings, one can keep the information and data secure but along with it, we also need to keep following security features in mind:

• Software updates: Every Company tries to update their software on a regular interval, so it is important to update your smartphone and install updated software whenever it is available in order to protect it from hackers.

• Application installation: New exciting applications are launched on a daily basis by someone or the other, but be careful before downloading any application as most of them ask for permissions to have the access to your files, pictures, etc. There are high chances of data being misused in such cases. So it is advisable to read the reviews of the application before installing them in your smartphone.

• Security Application: When we install more than one application in our phone, it becomes very hard to understand and overview which application is granted with what kind of permission that might hinder internet security. But there are quite a few good security applications available for smartphones that can help in such situations like McAfee. These security tools can alert you against applications which might contain the virus.

• Passcodes: Passcodes are a very common technique used nowadays to protect your phone from being misused. Passcodes can be 4 to 6-digit passwords, fingerprints, face recognition or any pattern. Although this method is not 100% secure, it is a simpler way to protect your phone from unauthorized access. Best way to make optimum use of this feature is keeping your phone locked when not using it. 

• Tracking phone application: Few mobile companies also provide features like tracking your phone, erasing data if the phone is stolen, locking the phone if many unsuccessful attempts are made while entering the passcode and so on. All these methods help in protecting the data from falling in the wrong hands. Individual application lock: As discussed above, Passcode is not the best security technique, so it is a good idea to use a passcode or lock for every single application, which contains personal information, or important data, which will act as a second layer of security.

• Individual application lock: As discussed above, Passcode is not the best security technique, so it is a good idea to use a passcode or lock for every single application, which contain personal information, or important data, which will act as a second layer of security.