Domain Validated (DV) certificates verify you control the domain. They are the fastest to issue (minutes) and cheapest (free via Let's Encrypt). Organisation Validated (OV) certificates verify the organisation behind the domain — they display the company name in the certificate. Extended Validation (EV) certificates go through the most rigorous verification and show a green padlock with the company name in older browsers. DV is appropriate for most Australian SME websites.
Most SSL certificate incidents happen not from hacking but from certificate expiry. Let's Encrypt certificates expire every 90 days. Auto-renewal requires the renewal process to run successfully before expiry — confirm auto-renewal is configured and test it. Commercial certificates (annual) should be renewed 30 days before expiry. Calendar reminders 45 days before expiry are a reliable backup.
If a certificate lapses and the site shows 'Not Secure', visitors will not proceed. The fix for Let's Encrypt is to SSH into the server and run Certbot manually. For commercial certificates, reissue from your registrar and install the new certificate via your hosting control panel or web server configuration. Most hosting control panels (cPanel, Plesk) have a one-click SSL installation process.
Core security updates for the CMS, plugins and server should be applied weekly or immediately when a critical patch is released. A monthly maintenance schedule is the minimum for most business sites.
TPR Media operates from Level 34, 1 Eagle Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000, serving clients across Brisbane and Australia-wide.
TPR Media explains SSL certificates for Australian websites: DV, OV and EV certificate types and their appropriate use cases, Let's Encrypt 90-day auto-renewal setup and the steps to fix a lapsed certificate without extended downtime.