Need SSL Encryption? This Provider Covers the Scope of SSL Certificates

TL; DR: If you’ve ever used Google Chrome, you may have seen it flag a website you’re browsing as “not secure.” That is because the website you’re on doesn’t have proper website security, or SSL encryption. SSL Dragon provides website owners and companies with valid SSL certificates to encrypt their connections. The provider offers a wide range of specialized certificates for everything from websites and servers to routers and email. We spoke with Roman Munteanu, CEO and Founder of SSL Dragon, about the company’s products and Google’s role in SSL demand.

Who doesn’t love a good story? Stories define our lives, helping us connect on a deeper level. Whether it’s the TV shows that are synonymous with our childhoods or the family anecdotes that carry over the generations shaping the view of ourselves and the people we come from.

For SSL Dragon, its mascot tells the story. SSL certificates are like the first line of defense in cybersecurity. What could better depict that defense than a larger-than-life dragon?

“Our website is full of illustrations. But the dragon being large and protecting the customers was the way we wanted to illustrate the SSL certificates. That’s how we came up with the mascot,” said Roman Munteanu, CEO and Founder of SSL Dragon.

Centering its brand around fierce, majestic dragons allowed SSL Dragon to present a technical solution as in SSL certificates in a more relatable, exciting way.

At the time SSL Dragon launched, the SSL market was quickly picking up speed. So Roman wanted to choose a mascot that would represent a protector in a grandiose, apparent view.

Of course, SSL Dragon stands out from the competition in other ways besides its mascot. It offers affordable, stable pricing and effective SSL solutions that meet a wide range of needs. The SSL Dragon customer service team is also a powerhouse in itself.

“We set up a customer support team that resolves 99% of the issues our customers have. And our customers say that our level of commitment is pretty unique. They have struggled with other competitors in the past, which is why they move to us,” said Roman.

In 2014, Google changed website security for good when it released an algorithm update favoring HTTPS websites over HTTP sites. The update meant that if your website didn’t have an SSL certificate, it would affect your search engine rankings.

Around this time, Roman was seeking to move away from the software development industry to start a business centered on selling online products. When the news about the Google algorithm update started trending, Roman was intrigued and decided to go in that direction.

“Over the years, we could see how Google was imposing more and more rules in regards to SSL certificates. So with SSL Dragon, we consider ourselves lucky that we were able to catch the wave early and join the SSL industry at such a pivotal time,” said Roman.

In 2018, Google Chrome began to mark websites as insecure if they didn’t have SSL encryption to boost cybersecurity, helping web surfers avoid unsafe web experiences and protect their data. With this move, more websites would have to adopt SSL encryption by default.

SSL Dragon was already up and running by the first half of 2016, positioning itself perfectly for the oncoming boost in demand.

Today, most websites use SSL certificates. According to SSL Dragon, 82.9% of all websites have a valid SSL certificate in 2024.

“Many companies have had SSL certificates for over ten years now. Now, they just keep getting new ones and are familiar with what SSL means. So every year people become more literate in terms of what SSL certificates are and so on,” said Roman.

Newcomers Can Use SSL Dragon Resources to Learn About SSL

But for those who are SSL newcomers, SSL Dragon has tons of resources to help you understand what SSL means, which certificate to choose, and how to implement it.

First, SSL Dragon has its SSL wizard. The SSL wizard is a personalized quiz to help you determine which SSL certificate will best suit your needs.

SSL Dragon also has an extensive knowledge base with hundreds of tutorials, blog posts, and FAQs to help you on your journey. Not to mention, the content is translated into nine languages.

“We put a lot of emphasis on our knowledge base because there are so many technologies, server types, and software. So when you have different combinations and options, things can get complicated. So we try to help people who install SSL certificates not encounter errors,” said Roman.

Since that fateful 2014 Google update, demand for SSL certificates has risen dramatically. But the thing is SSL encryption doesn’t only secure websites. It protects domains, software, and emails, among other digital assets.

“In the SSL industry, the multitude of server types and emerging technologies continue to drive a high demand for SSL certificates. We see people buying SSL certificates for all sorts of reasons, starting from websites, servers, and routers to emails, documents, and software,” said Roman.

Roman told us SSL certificates come in different shapes and are designed for specific purposes. As more tech solutions appear and digitization occurs, demand will only increase for specialized and traditional SSL certificates.

Good thing SSL Dragon offers a wide range of SSL certificates.

“The SSL certificates we provide are meant for anywhere from small businesses and startups to mid sized companies and large companies as well. We do see institutions such as banks and government offices buying SSL certificates for various needs,” said Roman.

The team seeks to add more SSL certificates in the future, especially those tailored to complex, enterprise customer needs. Roman said although SSL Dragon doesn’t currently offer those solutions, the team hopes to launch them by the end of 2024.

“Speaking of that, we’ve partnered with Digicert to offer some of its solutions because it is one of the largest certificate authorities. We’ve signed an agreement and are working towards adding solutions it offers for enterprise customers to our list of products” said Roman.

The Most Popular Types of Certificates

SSL Dragon has sold more than 25,000 certificates to more than 10,000 satisfied customers. So it’s safe to assume that they have top sellers. Roman told us SSL Dragon has two top sellers: one domain certificates and wildcard certificates.

“First is the certificates that cover a single domain. We see a lot of companies just wanting to secure their main domain or website. And then the next one is the wildcard certificates. Those are the ones that secure subdomains. That’s the next level,” said Roman.

SSL Dragon customers will often buy the one domain and wildcard certificates together. They need the one domain certificate for their site and use the wildcard for other digital assets, such as email, user accounts, and subdomains.

Multidomain certificates are popular among SSL Dragon customers.

“Third place goes to the multidomain certificate. A company that has multiple domains, different domains for their subsidiaries, or domain extensions with several countries would buy the multidomain certificate,” said Roman.

SSL Dragon has plans to extend its capabilities soon — and not only with new certificates.

“One thing we are working on is automating the renewal and reissue of SSL certificates. We have a few options we’re playing with and discussing with our partners and internally,” said Roman.

Automation will become crucial in the SSL industry soon because it will make following Google security guidelines much easier. Over a decade ago, SSL certificates would renew every five years, but Google changed it to one year to reduce the likelihood of breaches.

Roman believes that the renewal time frame will change again, probably to meet Google’s suggested 90-day threshold. He said this is why automation will come in handy. It will give users more convenience when renewing.

“We’re hopeful to come up with a solution that works for a good portion of the customers by early 2025. We also started working on an API. We will allow customers to manage the SSL certificates using an API,” said Roman.

The API will simplify life for users with multiple certificates. It will have the capability to automatically notify users and allow them to complete actions through the API instead of manually.

“So we are currently developing and taking our API to the next level. And we’re working on increasing our support capabilities and qualities because the feedback we receive from our customers helps us grow and become even better,” said Roman.