SSL Certificates FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an SSL certificate?

An SSL certificate is a digitally signed certificate that establishes the identity of a website and uses encryption to send data to the website. The certificate is issued by a trusted authority known as a Certificate Authority (CA) and typically contains information like the Owner's name, Name of issuer, the certificate holder's public key and an expiration date. SSL certificates are generally used when a website wants to accept sensitive information like passwords, credit card details and other sensitive information.

How do I view a certificate?

You can view a website's SSL certificate by clicking on the lock icon in the address bar of a browser.

Who can get SSL certificates?

Almost anyone who has a domain name can have ssl certificate. An SSL certificate will not be issued to a national or resident of the following countries:

• Afghanistan
• Belarus
• Côte d'Ivoire
• Eritrea
• Guinea
• Iraq
• Liberia
• Myanmar
• Rwanda
• Sierra Leone
• South Sudan
• Zimbabwe
• Iran
• Sudan
• North Korea
• Syria

or any other country where such use is prohibited under United States export regulations.

An SSL certificate will also not be issued to anyone on the United States Treasury Department's list of Specially Designated Nationals or the United States Commerce Department's Table of Denial Orders.