The OpenSRS trust service offers SSL certificates that secure communications between users and websites. This article introduces the SSL certificate types you can sell through OpenSRS, the certificate authorities (CAs) we partner with, and the full product list so you can match the right certificate to each customer.
About the OpenSRS trust service
Data sent through an SSL connection is protected by encryption, which prevents eavesdropping and tampering with transmitted data. Customers know they have a secured session when their browser displays the padlock icon and the URL begins with HTTPS. SSL certificates are used on web servers for browsing and on mail servers for access.
Business websites need an SSL certificate to:
- Validate the online business through a globally recognized third party
- Encrypt sensitive data such as credit card numbers or passwords
OpenSRS trust services include certificates from Sectigo, GeoTrust, SiteLock, DigiCert, Thawte, and Trustwave. All certificates offer the highest encryption levels available, are compatible with over 99% of all browsers, and include globally recognized certification seals. Validity is up to one year, and terms vary by supplier and product.
Note: Certificates with common names or Subject Alternative Names (SANs) that include an IP address are not supported.
Note: As of September 30, 2020, several DigiCert, Symantec, Thawte, and GeoTrust products are no longer available for purchase through OpenSRS. See Changes to DigiCert / Symantec / Thawte / GeoTrust products for the current list of supported products.
Certificate authorities at a glance
Authority | What it offers |
|---|---|
Sectigo | A comprehensive range of highly-trusted SSL certificates designed to meet the needs of every business. |
GeoTrust | A broad SSL product portfolio widely used across enterprise and SMB customers. |
SiteLock | Website security products that meet the needs of small businesses without requiring CSRs or web server installation scripts. Includes daily malware, network, and spam scans plus a trust seal that signals to visitors that the site is safe. |
DigiCert | Premium SSL products for large companies and corporations that require the highest levels of security. |
Thawte | A leading SSL provider with particularly strong brand recognition in Europe. |
Trustwave | SSL products that help companies of all sizes reduce SSL costs while maintaining a high level of trust and security. |
Types of SSL certificates
The certificate type you choose depends on whether you want to validate a single domain or an entire organization, and the level of validation you want to provide.
Domain-vetted certificates
Domain-vetted certificates confirm that a recognized certificate authority has authenticated the domain. Visitors can click the seal on the site to verify the certificate is still valid, giving them extra peace of mind.
- Provisioning time: about 10 minutes
Organization-vetted certificates
Organization-vetted certificates assure customers that the website is trustworthy and secure. Choose this type when corporate identity verification matters to your customer.
- Provisioning time: 2 to 4 business days
Extended Validation (EV) certificates
EV certificates display the organization name and the certificate authority in the browser's security status bar. They provide the strongest visual indicator of identity verification available.
- Provisioning time: 5 to 7 business days
Wildcard certificates
Wildcard certificates secure multiple subdomains under a single domain on a single server. Use them when several same-domain websites need to be secured but the hostnames or subdomains vary.
The common name in the Certificate Signing Request (CSR) must use an asterisk (*) in the subdomain field. Securing subdomains across multiple servers requires a separate wildcard certificate for each server.
- Provisioning time: 2 to 4 business days
Subject Alternative Name (SAN) certificates
SAN certificates secure a list of additional domains and entities under a single SSL certificate. Depending on the product, you can include multiple top-level domains, subdomains, IP addresses, and internal server names. The total number of entities covered varies by product.
SAN certificates are more flexible than wildcard certificates because they aren't limited to the same domain or the same number of subdomain levels.
- Provisioning time: 2 to 4 business days
Site seals
A site seal certifies that the site owner has been verified and that the site is free of malware. Site owners use seals in two ways:
- As a standalone trust signal when they don't need an SSL certificate but want to add reputability to their business
- As an extra layer of assurance on top of an existing SSL certificate
SiteLock seals
Every website protected by a SiteLock seal goes through an evaluation that includes:
- Verification of the website owner's contact information
- Checks for malware, viruses, SQL injections, and cross-site scripting vulnerabilities
- Confirmation that email addresses and servers are not on spam blacklists
SiteLock seals do not require CSRs or web server installation scripts.
Product list
The tables below list the available products by certificate authority. Sections marked refer to products that are no longer available for purchase through OpenSRS as of September 30, 2020. Confirm current availability before recommending these to customers.
Sectigo
Product | Verifies | Requirements | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
EV SSL | Full organization | Admin, organization, and signer contacts | SSL certificate and Sectigo TrustMark plus green bar |
Instant SSL | Domain and organization | Organization contact | SSL certificate and Sectigo TrustMark |
Premium SSL | Domain and organization | Organization contact | SSL certificate and Sectigo TrustMark |
PremiumSSL Wildcard | Single domain only | Domain contact | SSL certificate and Sectigo TrustMark |
SSL | Single domain | Domain contact | SSL certificate |
SSL Wildcard | Domain and subdomains | Domain contact | SSL certificate |
Essential SSL | Domain | Domain contact | SSL certificate |
Essential SSL Wildcard | Domain and subdomains | Domain contact | SSL certificate |
Positive SSL | Domain | Domain contact | SSL certificate |
Positive SSL Wildcard | Domain and subdomains | Domain contact | SSL certificate |
GeoTrust
Product | Verifies | Requirements | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
QuickSSL Premium | Domain only | Domain contact | SSL certificate and True Site Seal |
QuickSSL Premium SAN | Primary domain plus up to 250 domains | Domain contact | SSL certificate and True Site Seal |
RapidSSL | Domain only | Domain contact | SSL certificate and seal |
RapidSSL Wildcard | Domain and subdomains | Domain contact | SSL certificate and seal |
True BusinessID | Full organization | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and True Site Seal |
True BusinessID with EV | Domain and organization plus extended validation | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and True Site Seal plus green bar |
True BusinessID with EV SAN | Organization plus four domains including extended validation; up to 24 additional domains available | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and True Site Seal plus green bar |
True BusinessID SAN | Organization plus four domains; up to 24 additional domains available | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and True Site Seal |
True BusinessID Wildcard | Full organization | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and True Site Seal |
Web Site Anti-Malware Scan | Domain | Admin, billing, and tech contacts | Site seal |
SiteLock
Product | Verifies | Requirements | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
Find | Business verification and a one-time scan of the website | Web and business addresses | Site seal |
Fix | Business verification and extensive malware scanning | Web and business addresses | Site seal |
Prevent | Business verification plus enterprise-level protection with constant network scans | Web and business addresses | Site seal |
DigiCert
Product | Verifies | Requirements | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
Code Signing Certificate | Full organization | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate for 1–2 years |
SSL Plus | Full organization | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Secured Seal |
SSL Plus EV | Organization plus domain | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Secured Seal |
SSL Plus Wildcard | Organization plus domain and subdomains | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Secured Seal |
SecureSite | Full organization | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Secured Seal |
SecureSite with EV | Full organization plus extended validation | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Secured Seal plus green bar |
SecureSite with EV SAN | Organization plus one domain including extended validation; up to 24 additional domains | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Secured Seal plus green bar |
SecureSite Pro | Full organization | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Secured Seal |
SecureSite Pro with EV | Full organization plus extended validation | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Secured Seal plus green bar |
SecureSite Pro SAN | Organization plus one domain; up to 24 additional domains available | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Secured Seal |
SecureSite Pro with EV SAN | Organization plus one domain including extended validation; up to 24 additional domains available | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Secured Seal plus green bar |
Thawte
Product | Verifies | Requirements | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
SSL123 | Domain and organization | Domain authorized email | SSL certificate and Trusted Site Seal |
SSL WebServer Certificates | Full organization | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Trusted Site Seal |
SSL WebServer Certificates with EV | Full organization plus extended validation | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Trusted Site Seal plus green bar |
SSL WebServer with EV SAN | Organization plus one domain; up to four additional domains available | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Trusted Site Seal plus green bar |
SSL WebServer Certificates with SAN | Organization plus one domain; up to four additional domains available | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Trusted Site Seal |
SSL Web Server Certificates Wildcard | Full organization | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Trusted Site Seal |
Trustwave
Product | Verifies | Requirements | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
Domain-Vetted SSL | Single domain only | Domain contact | SSL certificate and Trusted Commerce Site Seal |
Extended Validation SSL | Full organization plus extended validation | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate plus green bar and Trusted Commerce Site Seal |
EV with SAN | Organization plus one domain including extended validation; up to four additional domains | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate plus green bar and Trusted Commerce Site Seal |
Premium SSL | Full organization | Admin contact | SSL certificate plus green bar |
Premium SSL with SAN | Organization plus one domain including extended validation; up to four additional domains | Proof of organization or DUNS number and WHOIS | SSL certificate and Trusted Commerce Site Seal |
Premium SSL Wildcard | Full organization | Admin contact | SSL certificate and Trusted Commerce Site Seal |
Next steps
- Review free SSL options. See Encryption Everywhere and SSL Lite to learn about complimentary domain-vetted SSL certificates available to all OpenSRS resellers.
- Understand validation requirements. See Domain-vetted authorization for SSL certificates for the methods you can use to validate and activate a certificate.
- Get familiar with the Trust services workflow. Visit the Purchase and Manage SSL Certificates category for guides on ordering, validating, and reissuing certificates.
Questions? Contact OpenSRS Support.
How helpful was this article?
Thanks for your feedback!
Do you still need help? If so please submit a request here.