Guidance Documents for Certified Electronic Certificates for Secure Socket Layers (SSL)
In today's digital age, security is paramount, especially when it comes to online transactions and confidential information exchange. One essential tool that ensures this security is the Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificate. This article will guide you through the process of obtaining an EV SSL Certificate and a Professional Opinion Letter.
Steps to Obtain an EV SSL Certificate
- Choose a Trusted Certificate Authority (CA): Select a reputable CA recognized by major browsers and platforms. Examples include GlobalSign, DigiCert, GoDaddy, and others.
- Prepare Required Documentation: You must provide extensive proof to the CA, including verification of your organization's legal existence, physical address, exact organization name, details about who operates the business and controls the domain(s), and your organization's main telephone number.
- Generate a Certificate Signing Request (CSR): Use your web server or desired platform tools to generate a CSR containing your public key and organization details.
- Complete Domain Control Verification (DCV): Prove control over the domain(s) by methods such as email confirmation, HTTP/HTTPS file upload, or DNS CNAME record addition.
- Complete the EV Validation Process: The CA will perform a rigorous 16-step verification of your organization, which usually takes 5-7 business days.
- Approve Issuance and Receive Your EV SSL Certificate: After approval, you will be emailed the certificate details, which you can then install on your server.
Steps to Obtain a Professional Opinion Letter
A Professional Opinion Letter is typically issued by a qualified legal professional to verify certain organizational facts for the CA during EV validation. To get this letter:
- Engage a recognized professional licensed in the relevant jurisdiction.
- Provide them with requested organizational information and documentation to verify your company’s status, address, and good standing.
- The professional drafts and signs the letter, confirming your organization’s details as required by the CA.
Cost and Process of Obtaining an EV SSL Professional Opinion Letter
The cost of an EV SSL Professional Opinion Letter can vary depending on the Certificate Authority. For most businesses with a physical U.S. address, it costs around $99. The Opinion Letter will require copies of forms received from the CA, incorporation documents, bylaws or company resolution, lease or correspondence addressed to the physical business address, a copy of a recent phone bill, a receipt for payment for the web domain, and a statement from the business bank account.
The Importance of EV SSL Certificates
Extended Validation Secure Sockets Layer (EV SSL) Certificates provide the highest level of security and verification available on the Internet. When customers see the padlock icon, "https" prefix, and the green address bar in their browsers, they are assured of your website's legitimacy and the security of their transactions. The performance of websites may be slowed down due to the need to encrypt information sent. However, the performance difference is negligible for websites that do not have a very large volume of traffic.
In conclusion, obtaining an EV SSL Certificate and a Professional Opinion Letter is a comprehensive process that involves human specialist verification and detailed organizational proofs. While it may be more expensive and time-consuming than obtaining standard DV or OV certificates, the advantages of SSL outweigh the drawbacks for websites that value users' trust.
Businesses can leverage data-and-cloud-computing technologies to streamline the EV SSL Certificate acquisition process, making it more efficient and secure. For instance, automating Certificate Signing Request (CSR) generation and domain control verification (DCV) can help minimize errors and save time.
Moreover, the integration of technology in finance and business can further enhance the security measure provided by an EV SSL Certificate. By using advanced encryption standards (AES) and secure hashing algorithms (SHA), businesses can ensure that their confidential financial data is protected from potential cyber threats when exchanged online.
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