5 Secrets to Finding the Best Cheap Wildcard SSL

You’ve probably heard it said before that there are two types of businesses in the world: those that have been hacked and those that will be hacked. If you’re reading this, chances are you work at one of the latter companies, which means you want to keep your customer data protected with top-of-the-line security. The easiest way to do this? Protect your site with HTTPS and obtain a Cheap wildcard SSL certificate for wildcard support. In this article, we’ll walk you through five secrets to finding the best cheap wildcard SSL certificate on the market.

1) Keep your brand safe

When you’re serious about your business, you can’t be too careful. Your brand is among your most valuable assets, and one wrong move could tarnish its image forever. That’s why it’s important to take steps to keep it safe, even when you’re just getting started. A cheap wildcard SSL certificate is one way to do that. Once installed on your domain, a wildcard SSL certificate provides security and encryption for every subdomain of your domain (e.g., https://*.yourdomainnamehere). All things considered, a wildcard is like a security blanket: It works hard behind the scenes and helps keep things secure so you don’t have to worry about anything else while running your business or website.

2) Make sure you can use it on multiple domains

One of your most basic choices with a cheap wildcard SSL certificate is whether you need one for a single domain or for multiple domains. If you’re just getting started and you have multiple subdomains that are yet to be developed, then it may make sense to get just one cheap wildcard SSL certificate for everything in order to save some money. But if you know exactly what domains you want to cover with a wildcard and those domains are developed, it’s generally better value per domain (and per site) to buy an individual wildcard certificate. The security-minded will also point out that buying a single certificate opens up your whole portfolio of subdomains at once.

3) Find a provider that uses 2048-bit keys

There is no industry standard for key strength, but in reality, there isn’t a lot of difference between keys when it comes to encryption. The issue is that while stronger keys are more secure, they also make decryption exponentially more difficult – so much so that attackers may not bother with a weaker key. If your business isn’t being targeted by any nation-state actors, you don’t need a particularly strong wildcard certificate. You should be fine with anything that uses RSA 2048-bit or ECC 256-bit technology. Most modern servers can handle those types of certificates just fine.

4) Beware of hidden costs

Before you buy a cheap wildcard SSL certificate, make sure that you’re aware of all associated costs. Many websites promise free shipping and other enticing offers; however, these come with asterisks. While it might seem like getting free shipping is as simple as paying for your new certificate (or any product), you need to take into account what will be required of you in terms of payment—in addition to shipping fees. For example, if they don’t require a minimum order amount and won’t charge an extra fee, that’s one thing.

5) Look for free support services

Just like with hosting, many cheap (and even expensive) SSL companies will include a free support option. The catch? You’ll get to interact with a freelancer rather than a full-time team member who probably knows more about your specific problem. Unfortunately, freelancers are usually less experienced in dealing with your particular issue and might have difficulty providing answers that go beyond what they’ve read on their company’s help page or the support forum. On the other hand, some freelancers—like those at Freshdesk—are very helpful and can provide you with answers tailored specifically to your problem. On top of that, you might find yourself interacting directly with an expert who knows exactly how to fix your problem.