![1 Star 1 Star](https://certera.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-postratings/images/stars/rating_on.gif)
![2 Stars 2 Stars](https://certera.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-postratings/images/stars/rating_on.gif)
![3 Stars 3 Stars](https://certera.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-postratings/images/stars/rating_on.gif)
![4 Stars 4 Stars](https://certera.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-postratings/images/stars/rating_on.gif)
![5 Stars 5 Stars](https://certera.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/wp-postratings/images/stars/rating_on.gif)
Hosting many subdomains for your website might benefit your business, However, it can also be a difficult process to handle. Securing these sub-domains with multiple SSL/TLS certificates further complicates the process, but a wildcard certificate is an easy solution.
The term “wildcard” is frequently used to describe a sign or letter that may be referred to as a sequence of characters or a space. The character used in wildcard certificates is an asterisk (*) inserted before your domain name.
A wildcard certificate from Certera.com could save you both money and time. Let’s take a deeper look at what a wildcard certificate is and when it can be a good fit for your requirements.
A Wildcard is a digital security certificate that encrypts data transmitted across a user’s browser and a website server. It enables secure communication using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) technology. A single wildcard certificate can protect an unlimited number of subdomains of a domain name.
A wildcard SSL certificate comprises one root domain and one wildcard character. (*). The wildcard character represents any subdomain of the root domain.
Wildcard certificates secure and protect the common name and any subdomains to the level you select when submitting your request. Just insert an asterisk (*) to the left side of the usual name in the subdomain area.
When a user submits a request to a wildcard-secured subdomain, the certificate creates a unique encrypted key that is transmitted to the user’s browser. The browser then decrypts the key and connects it to the subdomain server securely, ensuring that no third party may intercept or tamper with the user’s data.
Examples
When you request your certificate for *.sample.com, you will be able to secure:
Wildcard certificates encrypt websites like normal SSL certificates do, and the Certificate Authority validates the request using the same procedures. However, some Web servers might ask for a distinct IP address for every sub-domain on the Wildcard certificate.
Unlike obtaining multiple certificates for each subdomain, a wildcard SSL certificate may protect an unlimited number of subdomains with just a single certificate.
Management is simpler and more effective with a single wildcard SSL instead of managing multiple certificates for each sub-domain.
A wildcard SSL encrypts web data between a user’s browser and a website server, ensuring data security and protection against eavesdropping or tampering.
A wildcard SSL certificate covers your base domain and its unlimited number of subdomains. Hence, you don’t need to buy certificates for www, email, store, etc. A single certificate works for all.
It comes up with two types as
A single certificate covers the main domain and its subdomains. For example, if you have a certificate for *.sample.com, it will cover www.sample.com, blog.sample.com, and shop.sample.com.
This certificate covers multiple domains (up to 250) and their corresponding subdomains with a single certificate. For example, a security certificate for *.sample.com and *.sample.net will cover www.sample.com, blog.sample.com, shop.sample.net, and blog.sample.net.
Advanced configuration is required: Wildcard SSL certificates require advanced configuration, which may be difficult for some users.
Key compromise: If intruders hack the certificate’s private key, they can impersonate any domain covered by that wildcard certificate. Attackers use certificates to host fraudulent websites for phishing attacks.
Hard to track: The simplicity of wildcard certificates might be misleading. While simple to distribute, maintaining track of a single wildcard SSL across dozens, if not hundreds, of servers may be challenging, particularly if it expires simultaneously on all sites.
Unavailability at validation levels: They are not available at all levels of validation. Wildcards are available during domain validation (DV) and organization validation (OV), but not during extended validation. (EV). Some organizations opt for EV SSL certificates over OV and DV SSL certificates because EV certificates give higher security and trust. A standard wildcard SSL will not work for such companies. They may still secure their subdomains using a multi-domain EV SSL certificate.
Organizations and companies, such as online retailers, universities, and social media sites, frequently use wildcard certificates to secure multiple subdomains.
If you have a website with multiple subdomains that require SSL/TLS encryption, employing a single wildcard certificate may assist you in managing your certificates more easily and reduce costs. A standard SSL/TLS certificate will be sufficient if you merely have one or two subdomains.
Usually, wildcard SSL certificates can cost ranging from $20 to $1,000 per year, based on the certificate provider and options included. For example, Certera is one of the renowned providers. Its cheapest choice, Certera Wildcard SSL Certificate at $39.99 for 5 years (you can save up to 71%), and its highest expensive option, Certera Multi-Domain Wildcard SSL starts at $39.99 per year, includes strong and secure encryption, 24X7 expert support, browser and smartphone compatibility, 30 days money-back guarantee, secure padlock & HTTPS URLs, unlimited sub-domains security and server licensing.
Certera Wildcard SSL Certificate is less expensive than other validation types of SSL certificates; it makes an excellent choice for people on a minimal budget who need to secure multiple subdomains. Additionally, it follows relevant CA/B Forum requirements, ensuring that communication between the server and the client is secure and encrypted and any suspicious third party can not intercept it.
Hence, the Certera wildcard SSL is ideal for a robust yet cost-effective solution to protect your website and its unlimited sub-domains.
Perform these steps to buy a Wildcard SSL Certificate for your website & all your sub-domains.
1. Go to Certera > Check for Certera Wildcard SSL Certificate.
2. Select a duration for your wildcard certificate order, then click the Add to Cart button.
3. Validity or plan includes 1 Year @ $35.99 /year to 5 Years @ $39.99 /year.
4. Check out once you’ve finished your purchase.
You may adjust the number of certificates in your cart or remove them. You will find the “Want Us to Install?” button beside the quantity button. Based on your requirements, you can click on Yes or No. That’s our SSL Installation Service, where our dedicated team of SSL experts will work for you to install your certificate.
As we have discussed above, a Wildcard SSL can come up with both domain validation and organization validation; the issuance process is different for both.
To issue a Wildcard SSL Certificate, these are the conditions the issuer needs to follow.
legitimate Domain Name: The issuer must use a legitimate domain name to issue a Wildcard Certificate.
Domain Control Validation (DCV): The verification process ensures that the applicant has the authority to apply for a certificate for the domain name. This validation can be accomplished using email, HTTP, or DNS verification.
Requirements for Organization Validation (OV) or Extended Validation (EV): If you want to get an OV or EV wildcard certificate, you must go through a more difficult validation procedure involving validating the organization and signing legal documents papers to prove your identification.
Proof of Ownership: The certificate authority may need additional evidence of site ownership. Hence, the issuer needs to provide registrations and other documents required by the CA.
Agree on the Certificate Authority’s terms and policies: Before receiving the wildcard certificate, the applicant must accept the Certificate Authority’s policy agreement, Terms of Service, or Subscriber Agreement.
After successfully accomplishing the above conditions and requirements, the CA will issue the SSL.
Like other digital certificates, wildcard SSL certificates have an expiration date. When a certificate expires, the admin should renew and update it immediately. If the issue misses renewing the certificate, the website(s) it protects will no longer be accessible over HTTPS, and visitors will get an error warning, and the certificate will no longer be secure for domains or subdomains covered by it.
Hence, any traffic between a user’s browser and the website is not encrypted and is therefore open to future hacking attempts. Visitors visiting the website may see warning messages or encounter access issues. To ensure the website’s continuous security and user data safety, SSL certificates must be renewed before they expire.
To renew a wildcard certificate, follow these steps:
You can perform the following process to install the SSL Certificate on your web server.
It depends on the number of sub-domains you wish to secure. If you have limited sub-domains (up to 5), you can purchase an SSL certificate individually, saving your money. But if you wish to secure hundreds of sub-domains, buying SSL individually can be a costly deal; you must go for a Wildcard SSL certificate.
If you manage several subdomains, utilizing a ‘wildcard’ SSL certificate is usually best. It will allow you to protect all your subdomains with a single certificate rather than purchasing and installing several different ones.
Here is the main advantage of using Wildcard SSL on your website.
Here are some examples of how hackers might abuse wildcard certificates:
Compromised Web Server: If you use a wildcard certificate on public-facing web servers, fraudsters may use that web server to host malicious sites for phishing operations.
The Private Key will be Stolen: If fraudsters have access to the private key of a wildcard certificate, they may be able to impersonate any domain covered by the wildcard certificate.
Certificate forgery: If fraudsters mislead a CA into issuing a wildcard certificate for a bogus firm, they can utilize those wildcard certificates to set up subdomains and phishing sites.
All major online browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Internet Explorer, support wildcard SSL certificates. However, the most up-to-date information on browser compatibility should be retrieved from your SSL provider.
A Subject Alternative Name (SAN) certificate can handle multiple domains and numerous hostnames associated with domains. Because they are not confined to a single domain, SANS certificates are more adaptable than Wildcard certificates.
Combining the features of both allows you to protect a far larger variety of domains and utilize them on an unlimited number of sub-domains.
Yes. Because the same certificate will be used to protect all subdomains linked with a domain name, one IP address can be shared by all subdomains. By definition, SSL/TLS is an IP-based protocol; however, in this scenario, when all subdomain names will use the same certificate, a Wildcard certificate can be configured to work with name-based virtual hosts rather than IP-based virtual hosts.
No, a Wildcard SSL Certificate is not available for free. You need to pay to purchase one. Still, if you got any problem or issue, you can ask for your money back within 30 days.
Subject Alternative Name (SAN) certificate or a Multi-Domain SSL Certificate.
An alternate subject name (SAN) certificate is the most comparable option to a wildcard certificate.
A CSR is an encoded file that allows you to provide Certificate Authority with your public key and certain information about your company or organization in a standardized manner. With one essential difference: the asterisk (*), producing a CSR for a Wildcard SSL certificate is identical to generating a CSR for any other SSL certificate.
Yes, you can use a Wildcard SSL Certificate on several servers. Most of the Certificate Authority offers multiple server compatibility. Hence, you can install it on any server.
No, it comes with unlimited sub-domain security to the first level. A wildcard SSL certificate covers an UNLIMITED number of subdomains.
The duration to issue a wildcard SSL certificate depends on the SSL provider and the type of validation you have opted for during your order.