The Norton Secured Site seal is no longer offered starting Oct. 16, 2023.<\/p>\n
A Wildcard SSL Certificate is an incredibly versatile option for securing your web presence<\/strong>. With Wildcards, the name of the game is Sub-Domains. As in, a Wildcard can secure an unlimited number of Sub-Domains on just a single certificate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So, what\u2019s a Sub-Domain?<\/p>\n Let\u2019s start with a brief lesson on URLs. When you enter the address of a website, there are several components to it. Let\u2019s take a look at an example URL:<\/p>\n https:\/\/example.com<\/p>\n In this very basic example, there are only three components. The \u201chttps:\/\/\u201d is the protocol. There are, for all intents and purposes right now, two protocols to remember. The first is http, which stands for \u201cHypertext Transfer Protocol.\u201d This is the protocol that the internet is built on, a web server sends hypertext to a web browser which uses the information it receives to recreate a website as it is intended in the browser window. It\u2019s actually a bit more complicated than that, but we\u2019re getting distracted so we\u2019ll leave it there. The second protocol, https, is just a secured version of http wherein all communication between servers and browsers is encrypted.<\/p>\n Get it? Got it? Good.<\/p>\n Now let\u2019s get to the relevant stuff. In the example URL above, the \u201c.com\u201d portion is the TLD or \u201cTop-Level Domain.\u201d There are a number of these, the most common being: .com, .org, .edu. These are at the highest level of the domain hierarchy and help with organization.<\/p>\n The \u201cexample\u201d portion of the above URL is the Main Domain. This is the portion most people think of first when they\u2019re talking about a specific website.<\/p>\n Now, a Sub-Domain is a smaller domain that\u2019s a part of the larger main domain. Some examples of Sub-Domains would be:<\/p>\n You\u2019ve probably seen Sub-Domains countless times, you just may or may not have realized that\u2019s what it was. The Sub-Domain always appears directly before the Main Domain, with a period separating them. Technically even \u201cwww\u201d is a Sub-Domain, though most SSL Certificates will cover both the \u201cwww\u201d and \u201cnon-www\u201d versions of websites for free.<\/p>\n A Wildcard SSL is a specific type of SSL Certificate that can secure a single Main Domain and an unlimited number of Sub-Domains<\/a>. In order to do this, you use an asterisk in place of the Sub-Domain during the CSR generation process.<\/p>\n So for our example, you would enter, \u201c*.example.com\u201d when generating your CSR.<\/p>\n After that, the Certificate Authority you\u2019re purchasing from will go through the process of issuing your certificate, and once you have installed it, it will cover all of your existing Sub-Domains\u2014as many as you have, there is no limit.<\/p>\n There are lots of advantages to a Wildcard SSL Certificate and really only one drawback. The drawback is that you cannot get an Extended Validation Wildcard SSL. If you want the green address bar on your Sub-Domains you\u2019ll have to secure them all individually using either a Multi-Domain SSL Certificate or individual single-site ones.<\/p>\n But, business validation is still available\u2014you can get an Organization Validated Wildcard SSL, which will still display your business details.<\/p>\n Beyond that though, there are a great deal more advantages. For one, cost. Rather than securing each individual Sub-Domain with its own Certificate or SAN SSL, you\u2019re securing them all on one certificate for a single low price.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a convenience factor. Were you to go the individual route, you would have to purchase, generate CSRs, go through validation, receive, install and configure multiple certificates. Then, when they expired you\u2019d have to keep track of multiple renewal dates in order to continue keeping everything secure. That\u2019s a headache. A Wildcard SSL Certificate alleviates that headache. All of your Sub-Domains and you Main Domain go on a single certificate<\/a> and you\u2019re only doing everything once.<\/p>\n Best of all, Wildcard Certificates are future-proof. If you ever add a Sub-Domain, just re-issue the Certificate and you\u2019re immediately covered.<\/p>\n Certificate Authorities are the organizations that validate businesses and then issue them their security certificates. In order to become a trusted CA, you have to follow a set of agreed-upon guidelines that have been mandated by the CA\/B Forum\u2014a collection of CAs and Browsers that meet regularly to regulate the industry.<\/p>\n CAs vary in size and scope. Some are more regional and tend to focus on certain areas of the world, others are intent upon offering broader access to encryption and thus offer free low-level certificates to anyone who wants them, and then there are your major players\u2014the ones who are internationally known and trusted.<\/p>\n At RapidSSLOnline.com we only carry the most well-known and trusted CAs: The Symantec family of brands.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a quick look at the four CAs we suggest that you buy your Wildcard SSL Certificate from:<\/p>\n You can\u2019t go wrong with any of these brands. Depending on your specific situation, one of them will have the perfect option for you and your website.<\/p>\n Buying a Wildcard SSL Certificate is already a terrific idea given the convenience and value it brings to the table. But buying a Wildcard SSL Certificate from one of these CAs<\/strong><\/a> ensures you\u2019ll also be able to leverage the brand recognition that comes from working with a world-class third-party security firm and see even more benefits from your purchase.<\/p>\n Secure unlimited subdomains on the multiple servers with a single Wildcard SSL Certificate.<\/p>\n Shop for Cheap Wildcard SSL Certificate and Save Up to 60%<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nHow to Renew an SSL Certificate \u2013 The Ultimate Guide<\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n
So How Does a Wildcard SSL Work?<\/h3>\n
So What Certificate Authority is Best?<\/h3>\n
\n
Compare Industry Top Wildcard SSL Certificates from Trusted Certificate Authorities<\/h3>\n\n
\n\n
\n\t \nCertificate Authority<\/th> RapidSSL<\/th> Thawte<\/th> GeoTrust<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n\t Product Name<\/td> RapidSSL Wildcard<\/td> Thawte Wildcard<\/td> GeoTrust Wildcard<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Domain Coverage
\n<\/td>Unlimited<\/td> Unlimited<\/td> Unlimited<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Validation Require
\n<\/td>Domain<\/td> Organization<\/td> Basic Organization
\n+Domain<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t Encryption Strength
\n<\/td>256 Bit
\n<\/td>256 Bit
\n<\/td>256 Bit
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t Issuance
\n<\/td>In Minutes
\n<\/td>1 to 3 Business Days<\/td> 1 to 3 Business Days
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t SAN Compatibility
\n<\/td>No
\n<\/td>No<\/td> No
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t Wildcard Support
\n<\/td>Yes<\/td> Yes<\/td> Yes
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t Server Licensing
\n<\/td>Unlimited
\n<\/td>Unlimited<\/td> Unlimited<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n\t Warranty
\n<\/td>$10,000
\n<\/td>$1,250,000<\/td> $1,250,000
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t Site Seal
\n<\/td>Static
\n<\/td>Dynamic<\/td> Dynamic
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t Browser Support
\n<\/td>99.99%
\n<\/td>99.99%
\n<\/td>99.99%
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t Mobile Browser Support
\n<\/td>Yes
\n<\/td>Yes
\n<\/td>Yes
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t Reissue
\n<\/td>Unlimited
\n<\/td>Unlimited
\n<\/td>Unlimited
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t SEO Boost Up
\n<\/td>Yes
\n<\/td>Yes<\/td> Yes
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t 24\/7 Support
\n<\/td>Yes
\n<\/td>Yes<\/td> Yes
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t 30 Days Refund Policy
\n<\/td>Yes
\n<\/td>Yes<\/td> Yes
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t 1 Year Price
\n<\/td>$149
\n<\/td>$399<\/td> $439
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t 2 Year Price
\n<\/td>$130 Per Year
\n<\/td>$349 Per Year<\/td> $384 Per Year
\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n\t <\/td> Read More<\/a><\/td> Read More<\/a><\/td> Read More<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n Buy Wildcard SSL Certificates & Save Up to 60%<\/h2>\n