A list of Frequently Asked Questions about WildCard SSL Certificates answered by RapidSSLonline

A WildCard SSL certificate has many advantages over a conventional SSL certificate, the most important one being it’s ability to secure not only your website URL, but also an unlimited number of its subdomains. Needless to say, a product with such  benefits does attract interest of a large pool of customers.

At RapidSSLOnline, a Certificate Authority of a wide range of brands such as VeriSign (Now Symantec), GeoTrust, Thawte, and RapidSSL, we  come across a lot of such customers on a daily basis, who are curious about this product, and have a variety of questions to ask before making a decision to buy it. And hence this post.

A follow up to my last article, which provided a brief overview of WildCard SSLs, this one aims to address most frequently asked questions on the web about the same and clears air about WildCard SSL security and how it works to protect small and wide level e-Commerce business over the web.

What is a WildCard SSL Certificate?Cheapest WildCard SSL, which protects user’s confidential information while transferring it on the web, and additionally, it protects multiple sub domains on a single server and IP address. Every Wildcard begins with an asterisk * or “star”. The star represents the wildcard part of the SSL certificate. The star can be any sub domain that shares the same base domain.

Which level of businesses need WildCard SSL security?It is a highly recommended SSL security solution to medium and wide level e-Commerce websites.

What  strength of encryption does WildCard Certificate hold?It holds the advanced 256 bit encryption  strength for single and multiple sub domains protection.

What  level of security is included in WildCard Security SSL?It protects a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) and Sub Domains on a Single Server and IP address.

Which brand’s WildCard SSL security holds an unlimited server license?RapidSSL and GeoTrust. These are two major brands  whose WildCard SSL certificate security holds an unlimited server license.

What is the issuance time of WildCard SSL security certificate?It can be issued within few minutes for a  single Domain Name.

What all web browsers are compatible with a  WildCard SSL certificate?Here is a  list of web browsers  most compatible with WildCard Cert.

• IE 5+, 6+, 7+, 8+
• Firefox 1+, 2+, 3+
• Netscape 4+
• Opera 7+
• AOL 5+
• Safari

What validation method does WildCard Certificate hold?It holds a complete domain validation.

Does it include trust mark or site seal feature?Yes! Its includes the trust mark or site seal feature, which is essential  to gain trust and confidence of the users.

How does one  generate WildCard SSL Certificate CSR for any web server?It is the same process, which holds other Domain Validated SSL certificate CSR. However, during the WildCard SSL generation, the common name should be *.yourdomain.com. To get a better idea about WildCard SSL Certificate CSR generation, click here.

Is  WildCard SSL security android validated?Yes, it is an Android Validated SSL security.

What is the difference between EV SSL and WildCard SSL?
EV SSL certificate is a complete domain authentication which protects single qualified domain only on a single server and IP, whereas  WildCard SSL is domain authenticated security, which protects sub domains and as well as main domains on single server and IP.

To see a list of Frequently Asked Questions about EV SSL Certificates, please click here.

Credit Goes to: http://www.dailyhostnews.com/a-list-of-frequently-asked-questions-about-wildcard-ssl-certificates-answered-by-rapidsslonline

A Guide for WildCard SSL CSR Generation at Apache Web Server

Due to the vast number of emails, calls and live chat requests being received from SSL users on a daily basis regarding Certificate Signing Request (CSR) generation, which is required in order to obtain a certificate from Certificate Authorities (CA), we have compiled this guide.

In this guide we will specifically address the process of obtaining a Certificate Signing Request for Apache + Mod SSL + OpenSSL servers. Here we have included the easy and quick steps of CSR generation from the major Certificate Authorities (CAs) on the web.

In order to create a CSR users need two types of keys known as private and public keys. Next, in order for the CSR to actually be generated all keys, password and certificate must contain the same information before installing any certificate on the server.

The following is a step-by-step guide to WildCard SSL CSR generation from RapidSSLonline.com who is a leading SSL Certificate provider and Platinum Partner of leading CAs such as Symantec, GeoTrust, Thawte, and RapidSSL.

Step1: Creation of the Private Key

Here, we have what is commonly known as the OpenSSL utility, which is mostly used in order to generate the private key and CSR. The OpenSSL utility comes standard with any OpenSSL package and should be installed on the following path;

/usr/local/ssl/bin

If the OpenSSL utility package installed on a different path, please refer to the information below to adjust the OpenSSL package installation path. Enter the following commands at the prompt:

opensslgenrsa -des3 -out .key 2048

The above command will raise a 2048 bit RSA private key and it will store at the file www.myhostname.com.key.

Key Note: All SSL Certificate CSRs must have 2048-bit key length

IMPORTANT: When prompted with the password command be sure to enter a secure password that can also be remembered. This password will not only protect the private key but will be essential to the secure certificate as well. That being said, a password that cannot be recalled is about as useless as any bad or unsecure password (i.e. 1234321, PASSWORD) out there.

Key Note: To bypass the pass phrase requirement, omit the -des3 option when generating the private key. However if you choose to leave the private key unprotected, Symantec recommends access to the server be heavily restricted so that only authorized server administrators can access or read the private key file.

Step 2: Generation of the CSR (Certificate Signing Request)

Enter the following command at prompt:
opensslreq -new -key .key -out .csr

Key Note: If you are using OpenSSL on a Windows server you may be able to use the following direct path to reach “openssl.cnf”:

opensslreq -new -key .key -config "c:\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\conf\openssl.cnf" -out .csr

You must now enter the mandatory information of the organization in order to create the CSR. The following is a basic overview of each requirement.

Country Name: Enter the two letter code without punctuation of the respective country (i.e. US, UK)

State or Province: Enter the complete state name, please be sure to not abbreviate or shorten it. (i.e. New York, not NY)

Locality or City: The Locality field is the city or town name, again,do not abbreviate. (i.e. Saint Petersburg, not St. Petersburg)

Company: If the company or organization name has any symbol such as &, @, or * included within their name the symbol must be properly spelled out. Here are the illustrations of (i.e. AB & C Corporation would be AB and C Corporation)

Organizational Unit: This field is optional but, if provided,this information will serve as additional authentication for obtaining the certificate from the CA. But if you prefer to skip this step, simply press enter on the keyboard.

Common Name: The Common Name is the Host + Domain Name. The information provided here will look much like something along the lines of "*.company.com".

Key Note: Do not try to add an email address, challenge password or an optional company name when generating the CSR.

At this point you will have successfully generated both your private and public keys. The private key (www.hostname.com.key) is stored locally on the server and is employed for decryption. The public key, in the form of a WildCard SSL Certificate Signing Request (certrequest.csr), will be for certificate enrollment.

To copy and paste the information into the enrollment form, open the file in a text editor such as Notepad or Vi and save it as a .txt file. Do not use Microsoft Word as it will insert extra hidden characters that will alter the contents of the CSR rendering it useless.

For information regarding the WildCard SSL Certificate Signing Request for another web server not described about please click here.

Original Source: https://www.rapidsslonline.com/blog/wildcard-ssl-csr-guide-for-apache

RapidSSLonline Announces Multiple Offers on VeriSign EV

The EV SSL / Extended Validation SSL enables the strongest SSL encryption, Up to 256 bit (a string of characters through which sensitive data is transmitted), including the power of the Green Bar and also the secured VeriSign site seal for the authentication of entire organizations. Earn the power of Green EV SSL / Extended Validation SSL for enhanced customers trust and confidence. Attain your VeriSign EV SSL certificate at only $629.10/Yr with RapidSSLonline. Use VeriSign EV SSL promo code “SUPER10OFF” to purchase or renew your existing VeriSign Secure Site EV SSL certificate.

RapidSSLonline is the leading, literally the fastest-growing worldwide, Platinum Partner authority of all VeriSign SSL certificates and is a fully authorized company to buy or renew VeriSign SSL Certificates. You can find our sister site, The SSL Store (same company, different storefront), under Featured Partners through the VeriSign website. Buying from a VeriSign authority gives you the exact same certificate at a reduced wholesale cost. As a Platinum authority of major SSL brands such as VeriSign, GeoTrust, Thawte, and RapidSSL, RapidSSLonline provides SSL certificates including Cheap EV SSL, Cheap Wildcard SSL, SAN SSL, and SGC SSL certificates.  We are devoted almost solely to the SSL industry with the most affordable and competitive prices, includingour Best Price Guarantee and 30-day money back guarantee.

An Extended Validation SSL / EV SSL certificate provides the sureness, trust, and confidence to users that your platform has VeriSign EV SSL (Green SSL Power) to protect confidential and sensitive information while transmitting online. Of great importance, web users feel that your web store environment / experience is safe and secure to transfer anything.

VeriSign EV SSL / Extended Validation SSL are the most preferred web security solution for wide level organizations and online business platforms. VeriSign Secure Site EV SSL includes the strongest encryptions, minimum of 40-bit and up to 256-bit encryption, and 99.99% of the latest web browser and server compatibility.

EV SSL / Extended Validation SSL is compatible with the latest popular web browsers including IE 5+, 6+, 7+, 8+,  Firefox 1+, 2+, 3+, Netscape 4+, Opera 7+,  AOL 5+, and Safari. An EV SSL certificate from VeriSign includes free weekly vulnerability assessment and actionable report, plus daily behavioral malware scanning. It also promotes you through search engines with Seal in Search.

VeriSign EV SSL is the comprehensive solution to supply the trust and confidence to web users through the largest web security provider and fully authorized system. VeriSign is the leading and the highly trusted web security brand and certificate authority worldwide.

Key functionalities of VeriSign Secure Site EV SSL

·         The Strongest 256 bit SSL encryption, industry Extended Validation SSL.

·         Extended Validation for businesses and organizations.

·         Extended Validation Technology with The Power of the Green Address Bar.

·         VeriSign Trust™ Seal with VeriSign Seal-in-Search™ maximizes click-through and conversions.

·         $1,250,000 warranty.

·         Authentication display includes The Power of the Green Bar and Company Name.

·         99.99% Compatibility of the latest web browsers and servers.

·         Secures web mail, Hosting Control Panel's, POP, IMAP, SMTP, FTP, HTTPS (Secure Web Pages).

·         Daily Web site malware scanning shows customers you are committed to keeping them safe.

·         Free Weekly Vulnerability Assessment & Actionable Report

RapidSSLonline is one of the largest resellers of major brand SSL certificates such as RapidSSL, GeoTrust SSL, Thawte, & VeriSign. Being Pioneer Cheap SSL Certificates provider that RapidSSLonline provider WildCard SSL Certificates, Extended Validation SSL Certificates, and Code Signing Certificates at the lowest price including  24/7 support for anytime problem-solving. XEROX, NOKIA, the University of Sydney, IBM, and thousands of small organizations and businesses have trusted RapidSSLonline since its founding in 2007.