VirMach RapidSSL Wildcard, $ 149.00/yr. on SSL Certificates

RapidSSL Wildcard is designed for customers who need to secure many host names under the same parent domain and want to avoid purchasing and managing a separate certificate for each one. It is a domain validated wildcard SSL certificate that covers the base domain and an unlimited number of first level subdomains matching the wildcard pattern, so a single purchase can protect names such as mail, panel, shop, api and blog under the same domain. The product description notes that it offers the same basic encryption and browser recognition features as other RapidSSL certificates, including up to 256 bit encryption and automated domain control validation, but extends that protection across all current and future subdomains that match the wildcard. This makes it a good fit for agencies hosting multiple microsites under one domain, developers who make heavy use of subdomains for staging, or businesses that run separate services such as mail, remote access and web applications on their own host names. The listed price of roughly one hundred forty nine dollars per year represents a significant saving compared with buying and renewing several individual certificates over the same period, especially once administration time and configuration complexity are taken into account.

SSL certificates on this platform are delivered through an automated system that handles certificate requests, validation and provisioning through the same billing portal that is used for hosting and domain services. After a certificate order is placed and payment is confirmed, the system guides the customer through domain control validation and then issues the certificate, so in most cases the certificate can be deployed in minutes without in depth PKI knowledge. Once installed, the certificate encrypts traffic between browsers and the web server so that logins, forms and payment details cannot be read in transit, and browsers display the familiar padlock and https prefix next to the site address to indicate a secure connection and verified identity information. The catalogue and help text explain the differences between domain validation, organisation validation and extended validation, noting that DV is suitable for personal sites and non critical pages, OV adds business identity for login and account areas, and EV provides the highest assurance for ecommerce and online banking style applications where trust signals are especially important.

Alongside individual product descriptions, the SSL section emphasises that encrypting every production site has become a baseline best practice and that modern browsers now label plain http sites as not secure, sometimes with visible warnings that can unsettle visitors and damage conversion rates. Search engines are described as rewarding encrypted sites with small ranking boosts, which gives site owners an extra incentive to enable https even on content sites that do not handle payments. The material highlights benefits such as encrypting sensitive data, protecting user privacy, activating the lock icon, proving site legitimacy and improving SEO, all of which apply regardless of which certificate brand or validation level is chosen. There is also guidance that, when a domain is hosted on the same provider using supported control panels like cPanel, Plesk or DirectAdmin, renewal orders can be generated automatically and the system will help with validation and installation each year so that certificates are kept current with minimal manual effort from administrators.