A graph shows the increasing popularity of EV SSL certificates since 2007
(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) – Extended Validation SSL certificates account for only 2.3 percent of all valid third party certificates, according to a report released Monday by Netcraft. Netcraft’s April 2011 survey found a total of 38,966 valid EV certificates.
According to Netcraft, most sites use domain validated certificates because they are cheaper. Netcraft says domain validated certificates aren’t as popular amongst high-traffic websites though.
Another possible barrier could be that “EV certificates cannot always be automated to the same degree as for domain validated certificates,” according to Netcraft. The current guidelines outlined in the report dictate that in some circumstances the certificate authority may “arrange a site visit in order to verify an applicant’s business address.” On the other hand, domain validation checks can be performed automatically.
Created more than four years ago, EV certificates are used by high-traffic or financial websites to ensure secure transactions. The green indicator in the browser’s address bar indicates an EV certificate and can’t be replicated by a fraudster, according to Netcraft.
After the breach of several Comodo reseller SSL certificates, a few Internet security firms discussed some new ideas about SSL security. The article prompted one WHIR reader to suggest that Comodo could have avoided this scenario with Extended Validation SSL.
Netcraft analyzed 1,000 busy websites where 81 sites accepted a HTTPS connection and presented a valid SSL certificate. The report also indicates that “organization validated certificates take the largest share within the top million sites and are twice as popular as EV certificates in the top 1,000.”
About Nicole Henderson
Nicole Henderson writes full-time for the Web Host Industry Review where she covers daily news and features online, as well as in print. She has a bachelor of journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto, and has been writing for the WHIR since September 2010. You can find her on Twitter @NicoleHenderson.
No related posts.
