Domain registrar and Web hosting provider Go Daddy announced on Wednesday it is extending its offer that provides one-year of free SSL certificate to developers of open source projects and applications.

The company’s decision to extend the popular program comes as its market share of secure certificates continues to expand at a rapid rate, says Go Daddy. It has increased from 10.33 percent in January to 17.41 percent in February, according to the latest statistics from Netcraft.

Go Daddy offers SSL certificates up to 256-bit encryption, and in the validation levels of Standard, Deluxe and Premium with Extended Validation. The company began offering SSL certificates to open source requestors in 2005.

“The open source community is responsible for critical projects that millions of Web users rely on each and every day,” says Bob Parsons, Go Daddy CEO and founder. “Not only are these certificates being offered free of charge, but they are backed up with Go Daddy’s 24/7 world-class customer support.”