Shared SSL (Secure Sockets Layer protocol) Support
 

A shared SSL certificate allows you to use SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption and business authentication without the need to obtain a unique digital certificate, which usually costs more. This is a quick and economical way of providing SSL functionality. It gives you the ability to communicate securely with your web customers. It protects all communications with your clients, so you can take credit card orders, protect sensitive personal information, and ensure that hackers do not detect your passwords. SSL security makes eavesdropping on your web traffic almost impossible.

Shared SSL uses WildCard (server-wide) certificates to service multiple domains on the contrary to SSL which serves a single domain. Thawte determines a wildcard certificate as "a single certificate, with a wildcard character in the domain name field. This allows the certificate to secure multiple hosts within the same domain. For example, a certificate for *.domain.com, could be used for www.domain.com, www1.domain.com, www2.domain.com, in fact, any host in the domain.com domain. When a client checks the host name in this certificate, it uses a shell expansion procedure to see if it matches."

WildCard certificates work only for third level domains. For example, if you get a domain name for *.domain.com, it will work for www.domain.com and products.domain.com. But it will not work for www.products.domain.com.

Example:

When a website is using shared SSL certificate, visitors access it using https://www.mydomain.com instead of http://www.mydomain.com. The information exchanged between the browser and the hosting server then is encrypted.

* You can have Shared SSL certificate work for third-level domains created both via Frontpage and Site Studio.

* Sites with shared SSL protection support CGI scripts and all other resources available at the Web Services page.
 

1.

To subscribe to a shared certificate (the domain in the address bar will be similar to http://secure1.yourhostingcompany.com)  Please note that the shared certificate will run on our shared servers and utilize our domain name attributes.
 

 

If you wish to have it activated you can select the option in WEB OPTIONS and then select the SSL SHARED SUPPORT  button.  Select the "OFF" button to turn to the "ON" state.  You will then receive a message such as this:
 

 

 

Once you agree to the action and terms above, the administrator of the system will be notified to implement your request.