Keep your visitors secure and protect your data
You might have a shiny, impressive website, but if visitors don't feel secure using it, all your efforts will count for nothing. The question of trust always looms large online, especially when it comes to asking visitors to submit their sensitive information. Nobody provides credit card details unless they feel completely safe. That's why you need to prove your site is 100% secure - and SSL Certificates do just that.
Additionally, Google has announced it gives preference to secure websites using HTTPS, which comes with having an SSL certificate. With an SSL certificate, as well as securing your data you are also giving your website an extra boost in the search engines.
Choose your SSL
123-SSL
essential security
only £9.99 a year
- Right for new sites which need essential security
- Vetting
Domain checks - Warranty
N/A
Domain SSL
from a trusted brand
only £49.99 a year
- Right for start-up businesses looking for branded protection
- Vetting
Extra domain checks - Warranty
Up to £10,000
Organisational SSL
extra authentication
only £49.99 a year
- Right for growing businesses wanting to give visitors extra confidence
- Vetting
Domain and business checks - Warranty
Up to £75,000
Extended SSL
total security
only £199.99 a year
- Right for providing maximum security
- Vetting
Domain, business and extended checks - Warranty
Up to £150,000
Wildcard SSL
cover all subdomains
only £79.99 a year
- Secure multiple sub-domains with Wildcard SSL
- Available with 123-SSL, Domain SSL and Organisational SSL.
Identify and remove
malware threats
Keep your site safe from hackers
and protect your website from
malware infection.
Find out more
Which SSL Certificate is right for me?
Whatever level of security your website requires, there's an SSL Certificate for you. Compare our SSL Certificates to find the right one for you.
You don't need a 123-reg domain
Is the domain name you wish to protect registered with another company? No problem, you can still buy your SSL Certificate from us.
Any questions?
How it works?
SSL encrypts information sent between your website and a visitor's web browser so that it cannot be read as it is sent across the internet.
SSL stands for secure sockets layer (you never know, it might come up in a quiz sometime), and it's most commonly used when websites request sensitive information from a visitor, like a password or credit card number.
If you've ever bought anything online, you've probably used SSL without realising it. Most web browsers display a padlock when you're viewing a site over SSL, so you know the connection is secure.
The address of pages viewed over SSL also normally starts https://, instead of http://.
When you buy SSL, you're actually buying an SSL certificate. This is issued by a trusted authority and identifies your site or business. You can then install this onto your domain name in order to encrypt pages on your website. If you have a website package with us, we'll automatically install your SSL Certificate for you.
SSL Basics FAQs
What is SSL?
SSL encrypts information sent between your website and a visitor's web browser so that it cannot be read as it is sent across the internet.
SSL stands for secure sockets layer (you never know, it might come up in a quiz sometime), and it's most commonly used when websites request sensitive information from a visitor, like a password or credit card number.
If you've ever bought anything online, you've probably used SSL without realising it. Most web browsers display a padlock when you're viewing a site over SSL, so you know the connection is secure.
The address of pages viewed over SSL also normally starts https://, instead of http://.
When you buy SSL, you're actually buying an SSL certificate. This is issued by a trusted authority and identifies your site or business. You can then install this onto your domain name in order to encrypt pages on your website. If you have a website package with us, we'll automatically install your SSL Certificate for you.
What can I use SSL for?
You can use our SSL certificates to secure any website you run. But people usually use them to protect ecommerce sites, or in situations where their website is exchanging sensitive information. For instance:
- Entering credit card details
- Logging in with a username and password
- Viewing or sending emails
- Downloading a customer database
- Online banking or sharing financial details
- Private chat rooms
You can use our SSL certificates in two ways:
- With domains you host and manage through 123-reg.
(Our Online Shop service already comes with an SSL certificate so you can't add another one.) - As standalone certificates.
You can install your SSL certificates wherever you like - even on other hosting services. We'll explain exactly how to set everything up when you buy the certificate.
Does SSL work with all web browsers?
All our SSL certificates work with the vast majority of web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Google Chrome and Safari.
The proportion of people using browsers which aren't compatible with our SSL certificates is tiny - around 1% - and as our certificates comply with industry standards, you'll encounter this problem with any SSL certificate provider.
What SSL certificate do I need?
Everyone's different, so we can't make an exact recommendation. But having said that, do you fit any of these categories? If so, check out the option we've recommended:
- I've just started a new hobby website
If your site is pretty new and you're not running a business, our basic SSL package, 123-SSL, could be what you need. It gives you essential security and encryption, although there's no underwritten warranty and you can't display the highly-recognisable GlobalSign badge.
- I've recently launched my own online business
For any commercial enterprise, we recommend one of the options that let you display the GlobalSign seal. This is instantly recognisable to your visitors and offers real reassurance. For a new business, Domain SSL probably strikes the right balance between price and features.
- My business site is well-established, busy and growing
Ok, you'll probably be wanting our Organisational SSL - or for the highest level of checks on your identity, Extended SSL. Both are really secure, but Extended SSL adds the green bar to your site. That's ideal if you want to offer extra reassurance to your visitors.
- I want the best security I can get for my site
There's only one choice: Extended SSL. The vetting process for this SSL certificate is comprehensive, and it gives your visitors greater confidence through the green browser bar. This is our top of the range SSL certificate. It's packed with features to keep your site secure, and you're covered by a big warranty too.
- I need to protect lots of subdomains
Make sure you choose an SSL certificate offering wildcard SSL as an option - and remember to select that option when you buy. This lets you secure as many subdomains as you want, rather than having to buy a separate certificate for each one.
- I have more than one server to secure
In that case, you'll probably want to go for our Domain, Organisational or Extended SSL certificates. These include 3 server licences, so you can cover 3 servers with a single certificate.
What does the warranty cover?
Our Domain, Organisational and Extended SSL certificates include a warranty. This covers you and visitors to your website for losses caused by the certificate being mis-issued.
The warranty is provided by GlobalSign, the authority which issues these certificates, and underwritten by an insurance company. So you can have complete confidence.
What is the green browser bar?
The green browser bar is a new feature available in recent web browsers. In addition to displaying the secure padlock, these browsers display a green bar next to the website address when on certain secure sites.
The green browser bar offers an extra level of protection for a few reasons:
- It's only available to businesses which have completed extra vetting steps. In order to use the green browser bar, businesses have to pass more stringent vetting.
- It displays your business name and location. This gives visitors to your site immediate visibility of who you are, and makes it hard for other sites passing themselves off as you.
- It's very visible and obvious. The green bar is positioned right at the top of a browser window, not down at the bottom. And it's bright green. So people can see instantly when they're on a secure site.
In order to get the green browser bar for your site, you need to purchase our Extended SSL certificate.
What domain names can I use SSL with?
You can attach your SSL certificate to any domain name managed through 123-reg. Or you can purchase a standalone SSL certificate and install it elsewhere.
What is the site seal for?
When you buy a 123-reg SSL certificate, you can use one of the site seals on your website. These instantly-recognisable badges confirm to visitors that you're protected by a secure SSL certificate. And when they click on the site seal, they'll be able to view more information about your site's identity.
123-SSL comes with a basic 123-reg site seal. For extra brand awareness, you can use the GlobalSign site seal with our Domain, Organisational and Extended SSL certificates. GlobalSign is a leading SSL provider - so their site seal offers your visitors increased confidence.
What is a Wildcard SSL Certificate?
A Wildcard SSL Certificate secures your domain name as well as an unlimited number of its subdomains. The Wildcard SSL Certificate works the same way as a regular SSL certificate, undergoes the same validation processes, and is available either as 123-SSL, Domain SSL or Organisational SSL.
The difference is that the Wildcard SSL Certificate extends to all of the subdomains of your domain that you want to secure. For example, www.yourbusinessname.com, shop.yourbusinessname.com, and secure.yourbusinessname.com can all be secured with a single Wildcard SSL Certificate.
When generating a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) for a Wildcard certificate, add an asterisk (*) to the left of the Common Name where you want to specify the wildcard.
Examples:
*.yourbusinessname.com secures www.yourbusinessname.com, secure.yourbusinessname.com, etc.
www*.yourbusinessname.com secures www1.yourbusinessname.com, www2.yourbusinessname.com, etc.
*.mail.yourbusinessname.com secures secure.mail.yourbusinessname.com, www.mail.yourbusinessname.com, etc.
Buying SSL
Is it easy to buy SSL?
Basically, yes. Just choose which option you want and hit the buy button. We'll walk you through the process and explain what you need to do.
The process is a little different depending how you're going to use your certificate. If you want to buy it with a domain name, we'll take you through our normal order process so you can find the domain and add the SSL certificate to it.
Standalone certificates must be purchased through your 123-reg control panel. This means you should sign up to get a 123-reg account (if you don't already have one), then log in to our site to place an order through your control panel.
What is Manual CSR and AutoCSR?
Traditionally, in order to purchase an SSL certificate you'd have had to supply a certificate signing request (CSR). This is a file containing important information about your SSL certificate.
If your website is hosted with us, we will create this CSR for you (AutoCSR) and install it for you. If your site is hosted elsewhere, you will create the CSR (Manual CSR) and install it yourself. Don't worry; we have support articles to help you do this.
What is the vetting procedure?
When you buy an SSL certificate, the issuing authority will perform some checks on you or your business to verify your identity.
This step is important as it's only by ensuring SSL certificates are issued correctly that the security of the system can be guaranteed.
Clients are advised that any SSL certificate purchased, vetted and approved by 123-reg and its SSL partner GlobalSign but not yet formally processed by the Client shall be cancelled if the Client fails to accept the 'approver email' 3 months from the date of purchase.
Clients are advised to contact 123-reg's Support Team at any time during or after the expiry of their SSL certificate if they have any issues with their certificate.
Clients are advised to contact 123-reg's Support Team at any time during or after the expiry of their SSL certificate if they have any issues with their certificate.
