Everything You Need to Know About Wildcard SSL Certificates in 2022

Cybercrimes are a painful reality in the internet world. They have led to many businesses losing their customer base and eventually shutting down. 

The global cost of cyberattacks is expected to become US$10.5 trillion by 2025. This means a 15% raise every year. 

That is why protecting your business website and its subdomains is essential for running the business smoothly. And that is where a wildcard certificate comes in. 

In this article, we will be reaching the depths of how this certificate works and its benefits. 

So, let’s get started.

What Is a Wildcard SSL Certificate?

To understand a wildcard cert, you first need to understand what an SSL cert is. 

An SSL or Secure Socket Layer certificate is a security protocol used to encrypt the transferred data between a website’s server and a user’s web browser. 

SSL establishes a secure connection through symmetric and asymmetric encryption and an SSL handshake to safeguard their communication. 

As a result, hackers cannot see what data is being shared among the two communicating entities. 

But a single SSL certificate can only protect your primary domain, for example, www.example.com. Ideally, if you need your subdomains (shop.example.com andplay.example.com) to be protected, you need multiple SSL certs. And, that would be a costly affair. 

Well, not when you have the option of a wildcard SSL. A wildcard cert can secure an unlimited number (up to 250) of subdomains and the primary domain up to the first level. 

It provides equal protection to every subdomain, and you can manage all of them through a single dashboard. 

The good news is that you do not need to validate each domain and subdomain separately. If you add a subdomain to the list of subdomains protected by a wildcard cert, you do not have to validate each one. 

However, the primary domain’s validation must be validated through domain and organization validation. 

Domain Validation

DV verification only requires the domain to verify its identity. Owners can get it issued in 15 minutes by authenticating that their domain is genuine. They are likely to see a green padlock ahead of their URL once issued. 

Organization Validated

In OV SSL, owners are required to validate the authenticity of their business. To obtain these certificates, they must show their business address, name, and ID proof. OV SSL is generally issued in 2 business days. 

How Do Wildcard SSL Certs Work?

Much like regular certs, wildcard certs also use PKI or Public Key Infrastructure to protect all the subdomains to the first level. The web server and the web browser contain a private key used to unlock communication. 

In a wildcard SSL, users have to use an (*) sign to showcase the presence of subdomains in a primary domain. For example, a *.example.com can protect shop.example.com, news.example.com, mail.example.com, etc. You can get wildcard SSL certificate like Sectigo wildcard SSL, Thawte wildcard SSL, DigiCert wildcard SSL.

On that note, let us look at some benefits of a wildcard SSL:

It helps build trust

Trust issues are quite prominent, given the rising number of cybercrimes. Users do not easily trust companies who claim to provide optimum safety. 

But wildcard SSL stands for its word. It ensures that users can easily move from one page to another, sharing their data. 

CA or Certificate Authority, an SSL issuing body, also provide trust seals to websites that they can display for users’ trust. 

Trust seals are paramount for ecommerce website owners as they have to deal with sensitive user data constantly. 

Cost-effective

Instead of buying multiple regular SSL certs to protect many subdomains, it is best to buy one wildcard SSL that can give equal safety assurance. 

Moreover, you would not need to manage multiple SSL dashboards and worry about each one’s renewal. 

Also, when compared to other security protocols, SSL stands quite nominal and budget-friendly. 

If you are a small or medium-sized company looking to get optimum security and customer service at a nominal price, a Thwaite’s wildcard SSL is your best bet. 

Less issuing time

If you want to protect your website right now, you can’t do that with an Extended Validation authentication system of a regular SSL. EV SSL takes much issuing time because the CA has to thoroughly check and verify every detail. Therefore, getting it on the same day is impossible. 

But Wildcard SSL does not have any such compulsion. If you buy a DV wildcard SSL, you can get it issued within minutes. 

Also, OV wildcard SSL does not need much issuance time either. So, buying a wildcard is swift and hassle-free. 

Helps the website rank higher

If you are worried about your SEO or Search Engine Optimization rankings, consider adding a wildcard SSL to your arsenal. 

Google has already stated that SSL has an integral factor while determining search rankings for a website. The search engine giant also considers SSL essential for safety. 

We all know how companies today spend hundreds of dollars reaching the top of SERP. A simple SSL addition can solve that query for you. 

Helps you protect multiple subdomains and accept payments online

The best part about a wildcard SSL is that it protects an unlimited number of subdomains. This means that businesses can rely on its security for additional sub-sites. It will be huge if you estimate the cost of securing all those subdomains. 

But a single wildcard SSL does that for you. 

Another benefit of wildcard is that ecommerce websites can accept payments online as SSL is a mandatory requirement to facilitate online transactions, according to PCI or Payment Card Industry standards.

Final Thoughts

Given that cybercrime is rising and thriving, there should be no debate on whether you should or shouldn’t have a wildcard SSL for your business. 

If you want to keep your website data and user information out of harm’s way, having an SSL is necessary. 

So, buy it today and cover your conversations from the wrath of cybercriminals.