Extended Validation SSL (EV SSL or EVSSL) certificates are widely considered to be the most trusted option currently available for Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates. While EV SSL certificates utilize the same levels of security as conventional SSL certificates, they do require more extensive verification of the certificate requestor by the certificate authority (CA) issuing the certificate.
Websites using EV SSL certificates have a unique visual indication in a Web browser s URL bar to help users identify the use of increased security verification measures. Internet Explorer, for example, displays a green address bar in the URL as well as the certificate s security vendor and the name of the organization associated with the certificate.
Browsers that currently support visual identification for EVSSL certificates include Google Chrome (all versions), Microsoft Internet Explorer (versions 7 and later), Mozilla Firefox (v3.5 and later), Apple Safari (v3.2 and later) and Opera (v9.5 and later). The Extended Validation Standard for EV SSL certificates was approved in 2006 by a group of leading SSL Certificate Authorities and browser vendors.
