Dangers of Self-Signed SSL Certificates

Not everything that’s free is free. Using self-signed certificates (which are free) can lengthen your expense list in the long run.

A number of entrepreneurs, especially those just starting on their ecommerce businesses, are tempted to use self-signed SSL certificates instead of those issued and verified by a trusted Certification Authority mainly because of the price difference. Unlike CA issued certificates which are purchased at a certain price, self-signed certificates are free of charge. What most users are not aware of is that self-signed certificates can cost them more in the long run.  

While self-signed SSL certificates also encrypts customer’s log in and other personal account credentials, they prompt most web servers to display a security alert because the certificate was not verified by a trusted Certification Authority. More often, the web server advises computer users to abort browsing the page for security reasons.

Image from Google

This drives away potential clients for the fear that the website does not secure their credentials.  That’s two losses in one: brand reputation and customer trust.

It is not always practical to go for what’s free. SSL certificates issued by trusted Certification Authorities such as GlobalSign are good investments for they facilitate the growth of customer trust and loyalty which are paramount for businesses to have increased sales volume.  

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GlobalSign SSL Certificates

GlobalSign offers a number of SSL Certificates namely: Domain Validation SSL (DV), Organizational Validation SSL (OV), and Extended Validation SSL (EV).

1. Extended Validation: GlobalSign ExtendedSSL

For customers who want to get the highest level encryption and authentication, EV SSL is the choice. GlobalSign Extended validation SSL activates the green bar assuring users they browsing on a safe site at a glance. 

2. Organisation Validation: GlobalSign OrganizationSSL

Organizational Validation SSL activates the padlock on the address bar and changes the standard HTTP to HTTPS suggesting a secure network. With OV SSL, customers can have their organizational details upon clicking the padlock. This further strengthens the users’ trust on the owner of the website.

3. Domain Validation: GlobalSign DomainSSL

DomainSSL Certificates are fully supported and share the same browser recognition with OrganisationSSL, but come with the advantage of being issued in only 5 minutes and without the need to submit company paperwork.  This makes DomainSSL ideal for businesses needing a low cost SSL quickly and without the effort of submitting company documents.  

We'd be glad to hear from you, contact us at 

GlobalSign China / +86 4006 151251 / sales-china@globalsign.com
GlobalSign Hong Kong / +852 5808 0618 / sales-apac@globalsign.com
GlobalSign Philippines / +63 2 8225589 / sales-apac@globalsign.com
GlobalSign Singapore / (SG free call) 800 1012546 / sales-apac@globalsign.com
GlobalSign Australia / (AU free call) 1800 447 568 / sales-apac@globalsign.com
GlobalSign Thailand / (SG free call) 800 1012546 / sales-apac@globalsign.com