Website Security Certificates

All websites that we host have a valid security (SSL or SSL/TLS) certificate. This helps protect your website, your site visitors, our web server and our other clients' sites.

Each security certificate is installed and managed by us as web hosts. Our clients' sites often have a Let's Encrypt certificate, which is free & auto-renews. But there are good reasons to buy a commercial TLS/SSL certificate instead.

View our current security certificate pricelist.

FAQ's

• What is a security certificate?

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  A security (SSL/TLS) certificate is software added to your website. It encrypts data during transmission between the web server and site users' browsers.

  There are 3 levels of certificate: Domain Validation (basic), Organisation Validation, Extended Validation (the top level). All encrypt webpages and other data in the same way. See Certificate Levels below.

• What does a security certificate do for my website?

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  • Encryption helps protect your site from hackers. 
  • It protects private data when customers buy ecommerce products or fill in & submit any website form or enter a password on your website.
  • It encrypts your own password when you use the Bizazz cms to update your webpages.
  • Browsers mark your site as 'secure'.
  • With a higher level (OV or EV) certificate, there are more reasons for online buyers to trust your website. These certificates showe that your business has been independently validated as a genuine entity, not fraudulent.
  • Browsers usually block access to websites that don't have a TLS/SSL certificate.

• Why do commercial security certificates cost so much?

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  At Bizazz, we sell certificates that don't cost much and our price includes installation & guiding clients through the complex validation process for OV/EV! We understand though that it's big jump from $0 to annual fees.

  Certificate prices can vary by 200% or more. Sometimes the price jumps are a mystery. Other times, they reflect real product variations:

  • level of validation: DV, OV or EV;
  • quality: some certificates have stronger encryption (but only when used on newer platforms). Some are faster and perhaps more reliable with a shorter 'chain' of intermediary steps;
  • reputation: a certificate with trust seal from a wellknown IT security brand helps convince customers that online payment is safe;
  • extra features: added security software or a dynamic 'trust seal';
  • how many domains & subdomains you can secure with the one certificate;
  • customer support for validation/installation by the vendor;
  • whether installation on your website is included. This can be very tricky or quite easy, depending on the certificate and the host server. As your managed webhosting provider, we install and re-install TLS/SSL certificates for all our clients and we set related parameters (OCSP, HSTS, DNSCAA) for best performance & security.
    

  Is the extra cost worth it? That depends on your line of business, your website(s), your customers and your competitors. In our general pricelist, we don't include high-end certificates; but if you want to pay $2000/yr and more, get in touch. We won't say no.

• Does a security certificate mean the website is totally safe from hackers?

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  No. A standard security certificate does NOT guarantee that a website is free from malware, viruses etc. It protects webpages and other data from being intercepted and read or altered, between web server and user. But there are other ways that hackers can get at a website.

  Almost yes. Higher end certificates often add a daily malware scan and anti malware protection. It depends how good those products are. *Bizazz webserver has antimalware protection anyway.
  

• What else can I do to keep my website safe?

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  More expensive SSL/TLS certificates include daily malware and virus checks. That sounds good; but it can add a significant load to our server and slow websites down. Talk with us if you are interested in using these scans.

  These protections are keys to website security:

  1. secure website software
  2. secure webhosting
  3. IT security within your business, eg password management, access to PCs.

  Bizazz provides the first two; (iii) is up to you. Read our security page. Contact us if you need advice or help.

• Which certificate is best for me?

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  It depends on how many websites you have, whether you use ecommerce and other factors.

  We don't tell clients which certificate to buy. We do help you sort through the complexities. We've put many hours into researching and clarifying information.

  It's very hard to compare products. Brands are sold and resold by Big Tech players; names that were trusted 5 years ago are now owned by their (once) less favoured competitors. There's plenty of !!!!HYPE that means little. (We suspect that some overseas sellers wouldn't satisfy Australian false & misleading advertising laws!)

  Our retail pricelist covers a selection of certificates that claim very high compatibility with the many platforms people use for the Internet. None claims 100% compatibility; there'll be someone out there with a Flintstones phone. We test certificates after installation to verify their quality (pity we can't do that beforehand). Most certificates that we purchase come with a 30 day any-reason refund.
  

  Read the information on this webpage, on the Pricelist page, on our main website and in emails and client newsletters. Ask if you don't understand.

• What is a trust seal?

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  A trust seal or site seal is a special image inserted on your website. It shows that your site is encrypted, the security certificate brand and (for OV/EV) that the website owner has been verified as a legitimate business or organisation.

  For ecommerce, we recommend an OV/EV certificate with a dynamic trust seal.
  

  Site seals aren't magic bullets. They vary with brand and with product. Some seals offer a great deal of information, if site visitors know how to read them. Others are just a static image with the name of the issuing Certificate Authority. Well known brands carry more weight, of course. If you buy a very cheap certificate, don't expect its site seal to be a gamechanger for your website.

  If a trust seal is important for your business: buy the best certificate you can afford, one that includes validation of your business identity.
  

  We'll charge a small fee to modify your Bizazz website template & add the trust seal and code. The seal will then display on all pages. For sites that we host which were built by other web developers: please talk to your developer.
  

Certificate levels

There are 3 levels: Domain Validation, Organisation Validation, Extended Validation.

EV & OV certificates are the top rating certificates. They validate your business as well as encrypting your website data. EV & OV certificates assure site visitors that you are not a con artist, but a genuine business in a real location. You really will send the customer a set of top quality caterpillar pj's in exchange for $200 from their credit card.

• We recommend that ecommerce sites use EV or OV certificates.
• If you buy a high end certificate, put it to good use. Place your trust seal in a prominent spot on your webpages. Explain how it validates your business as a reliable online supplier. Many site visitors don't understand EV/OV; but they will notice an impressive trust seal design.
• If you deliver online services that require transfer/storage of highly personal data, particularly of minors or vulnerable people: always use an OV or EV certificate, with a site seal and some bright words about how your website's ownership has been independently verified by a trusted online security authority.
• Whether EV/OV is cost effective depends on what you sell, how much profit your website can generate, & how well your business is known or is warranted by other trusted sources.
• For small businesses without online sales, the cheaper DV is a realistic choice. *Sometimes wholesale discounts bring OV or EV prices down dramatically, so check our pricelist.

Let's Encrypt?

Like many around the Internet world, we often use Let's Encrypt (Domain Validation level) certificates for our clients' websites. There's no purchase or renewal fee for a Let's Encrypt certificate. Because the certificate auto renews, maintenance is much lower than for commercial certificates. On the downside: there is no trust seal option and only base level (DV) certificates are issued by Let's Encrypt.