What Are DV, OV And EV Certificates?

Since SSL certificates use comparable techniques to authenticate and protect your data, classifying them according to their validation method makes sense. The Certificate Authority (CA) must validate each SSL certificate to make sure it is supporting the correct, approved website. Every verification is validated with the bare minimum of domain control. Extended vetting can provide a better degree of confidence, but additional procedures can be taken to verify the existence of the seeking corporation or organization.

Here is further explanation on types of SSL certificates on the basis of validation method used:

Domain Validated Certificates (DV Certificates)

One popular kind of SSL certificate is domain validated. They can only be validated by using the domain name. Typically, the email address provided in the domain’s WHOIS record is used in the confirmation email that is sent by the Certificate Authority (CA). As an alternative, the CA offers a verification file that the website owner inserts into the website to further secure it. Both approaches verify that the person seeking the DV certificate is the one using and controlling the domain.

Organization Validated (OV Certificates)

Compared to DV certificates, organization verified, or OV, certificates need a higher level of validation and provide more confidence. The genuine company requesting an OV certificate will have its identity confirmed by the CA. The details needed to obtain an OV certificate are available at https://www.ssl.com/faqs/ssl-ov-validation-requirements/. The OV certificate also includes the organization’s name. This certificate raises the bar for confidence by certifying the legitimacy and validation of the business and the website. Organizations, governments, and other groups that want to instill a higher degree of confidence and trust in their guests typically employ OV certificates.

Extended Validation (EV Certificates)

The “Green Bar” of an EV Certificate is shown in various browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer etc.

The Extended Validation or EV Certificates ensure the maximum amount of trust level and they also need a lot of effort from the CA for the validation process. As per the guidelines defined by the CA/Browser Forum; additional documentation must be provided for the issuance of an EV certificate. View EV SSL Requirements to know more about the procedure to get an EV certificate. Just like the organization validated (OV) certificate, the EV certificate also mentions the company name in the certificate; however, a fully validated EV certificate displays the company name in the address bar itself and the address bar is displayed in the green color. This is a direct, visual way that tells the viewers that extra steps are taken to confirm the trust level of the website that they are visiting. This is the reason why most of the large organizations and companies prefer to use the EV certificate.

Other SSL Certificates

Above mentioned are the major types of SSL certificates that are issued for protecting websites. SSL.com also provides ‘code signing certificates’ and ‘personal authentication certificates’. These certificates might need different validation procedures instead of the ones followed for DV, OV and EV certificates.