SSL website security is becoming all the rage these days. Between major search engines using it as a key SEO ranking factor and the popular web browsers all but requiring one for a website to load properly, not having an SSL certificate can significantly impact website growth.
But knowing you need an SSL is one thing. Knowing the type of SSL you need is a different thing entirely.
This article will focus on the type of SSL you should choose when you have one or more subdomains of one level linked to a single domain. And that SSL is a Wildcard Certificate.
What exactly is a Wildcard SSL?
A Wildcard SSL certificate secures one website and unlimited single-level subdomains linked to it. For instance, example.com and any subdomains that look like *.example.com (such as store.example.com or mail.example.com).
Simply install the Wildcard Certificate on your server, and it will encrypt the connection between your site and any user’s browser, in addition to the connections of subdomains that already exist or that you choose to create later. One of the great things about Wildcard SSLs is that they will automatically protect any single-level subdomain linked to your primary domain. So if you do decide to add a new subdomain later, you won’t have to do a single thing with the certificate.
Save yourself time and money
The main draw of a Wildcard SSL is the convenience, especially if you have a large number of subdomains. If you decided to secure each subdomain separately, you would have to keep track of numerous certificates and expiration dates. That’s a lot to keep track of, and you would run the risk of certificates expiring and some subdomains becoming insecure without you even realizing it.
With current SSL industry rules dictating that SSL certificates must be reinstalled yearly for optimal security, this can make tracking these expiration dates even tricker. Wildcard SSL certificates eliminate that risk entirely by condensing all your SSL needs into a single certificate. Plus, purchasing one SSL instead of several can often end up being cheaper.
Conclusion
Figuring out the correct SSL certificate to get for your particular situation can seem like the most challenging part of encrypting website connections for many. Fortunately, for anyone with a single domain and one or more subdomains, choosing a Wildcard Certificate is basically the only choice.