SYO-601 Certificates

Extended Validation Certificate

Provides the highest level of assurance about the organization's identity.

SSL/TLS encryption with the highest level of trust.

High; extensive verification of the organization's identity.

Example: Company name in the browser address bar, often in green.

Validate an entire domain rather than a specific URL.

Runs risk that a rogue URL could be created and validated using the wildcard.

Can be DV, OV, or EV.

Example: *.example.com can secure www.example.com, mail.example.com, etc.

Subject Alternative Name

Secures multiple domain names with a single certificate.

Useful for organizations with multiple domains and services.

Can be DV, OV, or EV.

Example: example.com, example.net, example.org under one certificate.

Domain Validation

Confirms that the organization has control over the domain.

Basic SSL/TLS encryption for websites.

Low; only domain ownership is verified.

Example: A padlock in the browser address bar.

Organization Validation

Validates that the organization is legit and controls the domain.

SSL/TLS encryption with some assurance fo the organizations legitimacy.

Validation Level: Medium; requires more verification than DV certs.

Example: Company information in the certificate details.

Issued by the entity using it, not by a trusted Certificate Authority.


Internal testing, development, small private networks


Validation Level: low; not trusted by browsers and devices by default.


Example: Used within an organization for internal applications.

Validates the authenticity and integrity of software code.

Ensures that the software has not been tampered with and is from a legitimate source.

Validation Level: Varies; typically involves verifying the identity of the publisher.

Example: Signing software applications, drivers, and scripts.

Secure/Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions

Secures email communication by providing encryption and digital signatures.

Ensures confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of emails.

Varies; can include basic to thorough identity verification.

Example: Encrypting email contents and verifying sender identity.

The top-most certificate in the certificate hierarchy.

Used to sign intermediate certificates, establishing a chain of trust.

High; issued by trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs).

Example: Trusted root certificates pre-installed in browsers and operating systems.

Serves as an intermediary between the root certificate and end-user certificates.

Helps manage and distribute the trust chain.

High; issued by trusted CAs.

Example: Used to sign end-entity certificates, enhancing security and manageability.

Certificate Authority

An entity that issues digital certificates, which verify the identity of organizations, individuals, or devices and enable secure, encrypted communications over networks.