Secured Connection with
TLS / SSL certificates
What is an TLS / SSL certificate?
By encrypting traffic between the web server and the browser (or between two servers), an TLS / SSL certificate prevents any outsider from eavesdropping on the data being sent. This includes sensitive data such as usernames, passwords and account information transmitted to your database or other systems.
User trust is crucial for any digital technology, and an TLS / SSL certificate lays the foundation for maintaining not only the organization’s reputation, but also for showing customers and business partners that your website is trustworthy.
The familiar padlock symbol signals to a user that the website is using a secure TLS / SSL connection. Another well-established indicator is that the address starts with https: // instead of just http: //.
Transport Layer Security (TLS), and its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), are the protocols designed to provide communications security over a computer network. The abbreviation SSL is still frequently used, but nowadays SSL is deprecated, so in practice the term always refers to TLS.
Advantages of Ports SSL management
Perfect overview
Via the ports.management interface, you get a uniquely clear overview of your SSL certificates, domain names, hosting services and trademarks managed by us.
Platinum Partner for best support
As a Platinum Partner of DigiCert (the world’s largest SSL distributor), we can offer favorable prices on safe and secure SSL management, including your own contact person providing you with dedicated support.
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Peace of mind management
We make sure that you have the latest information about necessary
renewals of your certificates. This reduces the risk of certificates falling by the wayside, which is all too common in large organizations. Read more about Supervised Management.
Cost-effective options
Our Multi Year Plan empowers you to order SSL certificates for up to 6 years. You do not need to keep track of renewals, as Ports Group monitors and renews the certificates every year to a fixed subscription fee.
We offer a wide range of SSL certificates
By being a Gold & Platinum Partner to the world-leading certificate providers, we can offer you broad
expertise on the various certificates, favorable prices and access to the best support. Through our good
partner relationships, we ensure that validation will be as smooth and easy as possible. Contact us and
we will make sure that you get the SSL certificate and the supervision that best suits your business.
Domain Validation
Domain Validation (DV) represent the lowest level of validation and are the fastest to issue. Here, you only need to prove the domain ownership to the certificate authority. A padlock appears in the URL field with the security status “Connection is secure”.
RapidSSL
Multi Year Plan: 1-6 years
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RappidSSL Wildcard
Multi Year Plan: 1-6 years
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Thawte SSL123
Multi Year Plan: 1-6 years
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Thawte SSL123 Wildcard
Multi Year Plan: 1 year
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Organization Validation
Organization Validation (OV) validate the identity of the organization, such as a company, a non-profit organization or a government organization. A padlock appears in the URL field with the security status “Connection is secure”.
DigiCert Basic SSL CN: Standard Domain
Multi Year Plan: 1-6 years
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Digicert Basic SSL CN: Wildcard
Multi Year Plan: 1-6 years
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Digicert Code Signing
Multi Year Plan: 1-3 years
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Extended Validation
Extended Validation (EV) provides the highest level of security protection. Just like OV, it verifies the identity of the organization. However, as EV represents a higher standard of trust than OV, it requires stricter validation controls to adequately meet the requirements. As with OV, EV lists the company name in the certificate itself.
Digicert Basic SSL EV
Multi Year Plan: 1-6 years
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Digicert Code Signing EV
Multi Year Plan 1-3 years
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Analysis
In collaboration with you, we review the status of your certificates. What certificates do you have today, and when do they expire? From which issuers? Do you have the right level of security? We summarize this and much more in a document together with a recommended action plan for optimizing your current certificate management.
We help you select and manage your SSL certificates
Get control
Based on the action plan we develop; you get an overall view and control of all your certificates via our customer portal ports.management.
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Ongoing renewals
Through the Multi Year Plan, you can buy certificates with terms of up to 6 years. In addition, Ports Group confidently oversees the renewal and validation of your certificates every year. Your certificate management and administration is supervised by a dedicated representative at Ports Group.
Consolidation of SSL certificates
Based on the analysis of your SSL certificate holdings (Analysis step 1), we consolidate your certificates in two stages:
- Transfer of DigiCert certificates
Certificates issued by DigiCert are immediately transferred to our management, relieving you of administrative responsibility. Via Ports Group’s interface ports.management, you get a complete overview of all the SSL certificates, domain names, trademarks and hosting services that we manage for you. - Replacing certificates at expirationIn consultation with you, we regularly replace your external certificates, well in advance of them expiring. This means that eventually, all certificates will become managed by us.
Unique overview and management of your SSL certificates
Managing SSL certificates can be both difficult and complex. It is important to be cautious, as negligent management may damage your business’s reputation.
The complexity is often due to the fact that SSL certificates:
- have been registered at different times
- have varying validity periods
- are registered with different certificate authorities
- are managed by several people within the organization
This makes certificate management very difficult, even within small organizations. And in large organizations, this complexity risks becoming almost unmanageable.
Ports Group’s goal is to ensure the same safe and secure handling of SSL certificates as for domain names and trademarks. We do this by offering fully supervised certificate management and comprehensive overview in ports.management – our unique customer portal where you can access any information about your certificates, domain names, hosting services and trademarks managed by us.
Using the customer portal, you also quickly and easily place orders, check status and expiration date of your certificates, and download certificate (CSR) files. We are with you all the way, keeping track of all updates and reminders. We can also assist in creating CSR files and converting a certificate into appropriate formats such as PEM or PFX.
Management options for your SSL certificates
We offer two different solutions for managing your certificates. Either you use a sub-account where
the administration is handled by your own organization, but we can also provide a fully supervised
solution where Ports Group manages your certificate administration.
Self-managed SSL certificates through a sub-account
Recommended if you want to manage SSL certificates using resources in your own organization.
- Access to a sub-account with DigiCert
- Responsibility for orders and renewals lies with your organization
- Summary invoices from Ports Group make administration smoother
- Premium support included
- Can be integrated with our Multi Year Plan
- Advantageous discounts on DigiCert’s retail prices through Ports Group’s Platinum Partnership
Supervised SSL management with first-class service
- A solution where we take full charge in securing the management of your SSL certificates
- We conduct an initial review to gain insights about your certificates and provide you with an overview of them
- We assist in applying a centralized internal process for the request of SSL certificates by establishing authorized orderers in your organization. From there, we take care of your orders from start to finish
- We take full care of renewals and reminders
- We can assist in creating CSR files and converting a certificate into appropriate formats such as PEM or PFX. An order is usually processed in 15 to 60 minutes
- We keep track of your organization’s validations
- This service can be integrated with our Multi Year Plan.
- Advantageous discounts on DigiCert’s retail prices through Ports Group’s Platinum Partnership
Frequently asked questions
Do we need an SSL certificate?
For instance, you should always have an SSL certificate for e-commerce, order forms, logins, intranets, and whenever you handle any personal data or other sensitive information. It shows reliability and generates increased customer trust.
Does the website or server need to be hosted by Ports Group for us to order certificates?
No, it is enough that you control the server where the certificate is to be installed or that you have access to a hosting provider that supports installation of certificates on your website.
What is required to order a certificate?
In addition to accurate company information matching the domain owner, you need a CSR file from the server designated to use the SSL certificate.
What is a CSR file?
A CSR file is a request file used when ordering SSL certificates. It contains the information to be included in the certificate such as common name, hostname and location. The CSR file is usually created on the server where the certificate is to be used, as the private key is generated in connection with CSR.
At Ports Group, we can help create your CSR files. At your request, we create a CSR file containing the private and public key when issuing your certificate. The file, which can be sent in .PFX or .PEM format, is of course password protected in order to be delivered securely via e-mail.
What is the difference between a standard and a wildcard certificate?
A standard SSL certificate protects only the common names and subject alternative names (SANs) that you enter in the CSR file or certificate request, while a wildcard certificate secures websites with multiple subdomains.
An example: If you order a wildcard certificate for *.support.se, you can secure alternative subdomains without specifying these in the certificate request. For example, you get the options to secure www.support.se, mail.support.se or blog.support.se.
Please note that wildcard certificates do not secure name extensions in front of the alternate subdomains, such as test.mail.support.se. If you would like to add a single name extension in front of your subdomain name, you can add a SAN to the certificate, specifying test.mail.support.se. But if you want to secure several extension in front of mail.support.se, your best option is to request a wildcard certificate for *.mail.support.se
Learn more about SSL and HTTPS
We have developed a basic guide to SSL certificates; how they add value, the risks involved in managing
them and – most importantly – how to avoid the most common pitfalls. You find the guide under the header
“The SSL / HTTPS School in three parts”.
SSL/HTTPS School part 1
What is SSL/HTTPS anyway? Here it comes, the first out of three posts in our campaign to raise awareness and knowledge about SSL certificates and HTTPS.
SSL/HTTPS School part 2
What types of SSL-certificates are there, and which should we use? In this post, we will be giving you the basics of which kinds of certificates there are, and why those differences actually are important.
SSL/HTTPS School part 3
Safe management of SSL-certificates minimises the risk of business critical consequences. In this post, we will conclude this campaign by discussing the perhaps least discussed aspect of SSL-certificates, how to safely manage them in order to avoid potentially business critical consequences.
Want to know more about TLS / SSL certificate?
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