What is a Wildcard SSL Certificate?
A Wildcard is a convenient method of securing an unlimited number of subdomains using only one certificate. Security is achieved by placing the Wildcard character (*) as the prefix to the Fully Qualified Domain Name.
For example, *.SSL247.co.uk will secure any subdomain service in the same position as the (*): www.SSL247.co.uk, blog.SSL247.co.uk, mail.SSL247.co.uk, etc.
A Wildcard provides unlimited coverage across all your subdomains. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got a couple or hundreds. Nearly all the products we offer (not the Symantec Wildcard) have unlimited server licenses, meaning if your company uses more than one physical server one Wildcard will cover them all. You can keep adding subdomains at no extra charge and no extra administration.
It’s also an incredibly flexible solution to your web security.Multiple services can be covered with one certificate; as long as the service features at the same level as the *. This means one certificate will, for example, secure an email, a remote service and many more.
And as it’s only one certificate, you only need to go through one vetting process, making it one of the most convenient and manageable certificates on the market.
It should be noted that because Wildcard certificates manage multiple subdomains they can be less secure than other alternatives. It is not recommended to use one as your primary certificate solution.