Wildcard certificates allow businesses to secure a main domain and an unlimited number of subdomains. A wildcard certificate can be a cost- and labor-saving SSL solution, especially for businesses that have many subdomains or frequently need new ones.
The wildcard name comes from the * character, which is often referred to as an asterisk in Norwegian, but is often referred to as a wildcard in an IT context. For example, a wildcard certificate for *.example.com can cover test.example.com, mail.example.no, blog.example.no and so on.
Commfides offers wildcard solutions for two levels of security within SSL certificates:
DV (Domain Validation): Basic protection, ideal for smaller websites.
OV (Organization Validation): More secure solution that verifies your organization’s identity.
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
