The topic of this article is not supported by our customer support department, however for your convenience we are providing this material to assist you in troubleshooting potential issues related to this topic.

If you would like to secure the communications between your web server/web applications and your viewer’s web browser, you will need to use an SSL certificate. OpenSourceHost provides the option of using either a full featured 128-bit SSL security certificate, or a free Shared SSL certificate for short term use.

• Allows your viewers to see the ‘lock’ icon in their browser
• Allows you to keep the same URL (ie, https://www.yoursitedomain.com)
• Secures the communications between your server
• Guarantees to your viewers that your website is authentic

• The lock icon will still appear, and transactions will be encrypted
• The URL of your site will change to a longer url (ie, https://ssl.myhostcenter.com/yoursitedomain.com/)
• The viewer will have no guarantee that your website is authentic

You will want to use your own SSL certificate if you are running a shopping cart or major e-commerce venture; the Shared SSL certificate works well if you have a “contact us” form that you want to keep private or if your site is under development.

If you have any questions about which SSL certificate is right for your e-commerce venture, or the cost of using your own SSL certificate, please contact OpenSourceHost’s Customer Support department.