SSL certificates are issued with three levels of validation – the process that verifies the identity of those operating the website. OV stands for Organization Validation. OV certificates combine security and efficiency and are the middle level of SSL.
In order to be issued an OV certificate, the organization must go through a thorough approval process. Among other things, the issuer must be able to verify the company’s physical address and that the company has control of the domain the certificate will be used on.
The process for validating an organization for an OV certificate follows an international standard. It is set by the CA/Browser Forum, an international body representing certificate authorities and browser manufacturers, but we also make use of national registries.
The thorough approval process for OV certificates is designed with websites in mind that require security and trust in the organization, but do not primarily handle transactions or data that require the highest level of security.
Some examples:
- B2B companies
- Consulting companies
- Software providers
The other validation levels offered are DV certificates for Domain Validation and EV certificates for Extended Validation. DV only verifies that the person ordering the certificate has control over the domain. EV involves a stricter approval process for the organization than OV. The levels provide the same encryption, but different levels of identity verification.
OV certificates are priced at an intermediate level for SSL certificates, between DV and EV. This also applies to the complexity of the approval process and the waiting time. The process usually takes 1-3 days and the certificates must be renewed regularly.
Once you as a business customer have been validated, the validation will be valid for one year, and your company will be able to receive new certificates almost immediately. As a customer of our ordering portal for SSL certificates, the EPKI portal, you can handle the orders yourself and greatly reduce the processing time.
