SecureNow.com SSL Certificate Information

We can obtain SSL certificates from GeoTrust, Thawte and Verisign. We now recommend and use GeoTrust for SSL certificates (our site has been secured by GeoTrust since July 2002).

The following pages provide some basic information about GeoTrust certificates.

Please note that this web site is still under development, but we can process orders for GeoTrust certs now. In the future we will have online ordering available.

As mentioned earlier, we can still order Verisign or Thawte certs as well. Just tell us your preference and we can begin the process.

Please provide the following information and send it to SecureMySite @ SecureNow.com:

  1. Type of Cert Requested (Verisign, Thawte, GeoTrust TrueBusinessID):
  2. Complete Web address of site to be protected (www.example.com):
    Organization information (name, address) will be retrieved WHOIS for the above domain. Please make sure the "registrant" information is correct for that domain before submitting this request.
  3. Challenge Phrase (a word or phrase that you will remember, but would be difficult for anyone else to guess):
  4. Reminder Question (a question that will help you remember your Challenge Phrase):
  5. Organizational Contact Information
    First Name:
    Last Name:
    Title:
    Company:
    Address:
    City:
    State/Province:
    Postal Code:
    Country:
    Work Phone:
    Fax:
    E-Mail Address:
  6. DUNS Number (for Verisign, Thawte and GeoTrust TrueBusinessID):
  7. Term (1 or 2 years for Thawte or Verisign, 1, 2 or 3 years for GeoTrust):

Current Cert Pricing:
Thawte: 1 year - $249, 2 years - $399
Verisign: $399/$499 a year (US/International)
GeoTrust: as listed at http://www.securenow.com/geotrust/

Some FAQs About SSL Certificates and Certificate Authorities

Certificate Authorities

Certificate Authorities (CA) are organizations that issue SSL web server security certificates. Verisign certs are issued by Verisign CA and Thawte certs are issued by Thawte CA, a Verisign company. Both CAs are root CAs embedded in all major browsers.

GeoTrust certs are issued by GeoTrust CA. GeoTrust is the new name for the security division of Equifax (one of the major North American credit reporting firms). GeoTrust certs are still branded as Equifax using the Equifax root CA embedded in all major browsers.

There is no downside to selecting any of the GeoTrust, Thawte or Verisign certs (expect maybe cost). They all work in exactly the same way technically without using chain certificates. The screening process for GeoTrust TrueBusinessID certs and Verisign certs are the same.

Consumers using your website do not know or realize who issued your SSL certificate. It takes a bit of knowledge and work to find out who the certificate authority is. Web browser software treats all supported root CAs the same. GeoTrust, Thawte and Verisign are on a level playing field in current browser support.

Not all certificates are created equal

GeoTrust, Thawte and Verisign are root CAs embedded in all major browsers. Some SSL Certificate Authorities are not root CAs meaning they require an intermediate chain certificate to create a "chain of trust" between their certificate and an actual root CA. Some web server software and/or web hosting providers do not support SSL certificates that require an intermediate chain certificate. Since GeoTrust, Thawte and Verisign are root CAs, the chain certificate problem is avoided.

We Recommend GeoTrust

Going with GeoTrust usually saves money and provides a very comparable product. For example, GeoTrust's TrueBusinessID certificate is exactly like Verisign's certificate all the way down to the screening process. The GeoTrust TrueBusinessID cert is $199 versus $499 for a new Verisign cert and $399 for a renewal Verisign cert.

GeoTrust SSL Certificates | GeoTrust Certificate Options