Online testing tools award a grade. Interpreting it sensibly.
WHAT IS GRADED
Supported protocol versions Cipher suites offered Key strength Certificate validity and chain Presence of security headers, in some tools
WHAT MATTERS MOST
That the certificate is valid, trusted, current and covers the right names That the chain is complete That obsolete protocols are disabled
Those three account for everything that affects real visitors.
WHAT MATTERS LESS
The difference between a top grade and one step below is frequently a configuration choice trading compatibility against a theoretical weakness. Chasing the highest grade can mean excluding visitors on older but still common systems.
WHAT TO ACT ON
- An incomplete chain: reinstall with the intermediate bundle
- An expired or mismatched certificate: reissue
- Obsolete protocols offered: raise with us, though our servers are configured appropriately
WHAT TO IGNORE
Deductions relating to features outside your control on shared hosting.
IF A CLIENT DEMANDS A SPECIFIC GRADE
Send us the requirement and we will tell you what is achievable on your plan.
