The ABC of SSL: Super Duper encrypted security in an age of Internet Commerce
by: live2support
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Price for Progress
You have most probably viewed a digital SSL certificate in
action by visiting sites where an “s” appears in the http:// of an address bar.
The “s” stands for “secure” and indicates that data being exchanged by the web
site and your Internet browser has been coded or encrypted. Additional proof of
a secure web connection is provided through the appearance of a little padlock
at the bottom of the browser. Internet Explorer 7 provides the added advantage
of confirming a secure status through a color-coded address bar .
In case you have wondered how all this is articulated,
wonder no more because we are here to tell you how.
Simple Definition
The abbreviation “SSL” stands for “secure socket layer”
which is one of the many ways to code, scramble or encrypt online data. This
form and level of encryption is achieved through the use of complex algorithms.
Today, the standard level of encryption used when transmitting sensitive data
over the Internet is called 256 bit SSL encryption. This form of digital data
protection ensures that communication between a web site and your browser is
first scrambled and coded at the point of departure and then subsequently
decoded when it arrives at its chosen destination. In other words, even if the
data is intercepted by a malicious software application or by a live
individual, the data is not compromised in any way, shape or form.
SSL Certificate
Wish List
Like everything technical, SSL certificates come in various
strengths and combinations. Which SSL certificate is best for you depends
largely on the type of e-commerce company you operate, your transaction volume
and the level of browser access you wish to provide to your customers. Your SSL
certificate vendor is in a position to perform a needs assessment on your site
and recommend the right digital SSL certificate for you.
Standard SSL
Certificate
For starters, there is the simple, garden variety vanilla
SSL certificate which provides protection only to a single domain also known as
FDQN or Fully Qualified Domain name. The most popular versions of web browsers
currently in use such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Safari
are fully compatible with this certificate. This SSL certificate is
incompatible with sub-domains. If you have more than one sub-domain which you
need to secure, you have a better option available which we will explore in a
moment.
SGC SSL
Certificate
The second category of digital SSL certificates is called
the SGC certificate. SGC stands for server gated cryptography and essentially
allows you or your online customers to use old 40 bit legacy browsers to step
up to 128 or 256 bit capacity and thus provide an added layer of security. This
SSL certificate costs much more than the starter SSL certificate described
above and may not be worth the extra expense.
EV SSL Certificate
EV SSL certificates provide an unprecedented level of
security and protection through confirmed identity assurance. Until the advent
of this certificate, your customers had no visible indication on the browser to
confirm that you were a legitimate and a verified enterprise. EV SSL
certificates work in tandem with all popular browsers and indicate through a symbol
of trust, a green address bar or even a clearly spelled out message, that your
corporate identity has been verified by the SSL certificate authority. This
process of verification is implemented by asking you to submit corporate
documentation such as licenses, articles of incorporation, bank statements,
phone bills and other forms of verifiable evidence. Internet Explorer 7
currently provides the maximum amount of information to site visitors about the
nature of this SSL protection. The address bar in Internet Explorer 7 has been
programmed to change colors to reflect the security level of the connection.
The address bar turns green when the SSL encryption is fully in place.
Additionally, this browser also displays the name of the SSL certificate provider
as well as the name of the certifying authority. Since these attributes are
available only in EV SSL certificates in conjunction with Internet Explorer 7,
investing in this class of SSL certificates is worth a serious consideration.
If you happen to be an established Internet commerce company and have the funds
to invest in this class of SSL certificates, this might be the right protection
package for you and your customers.
Wildcard SSL
Certificate
A wildcard digital SSL certificate is ideal for you if you
have a need to secure a primary domain and a host of sub-domains through data
encryption. Under normal circumstances, SSL certificates tend to secure only a
single primary domain or a sub-domain. For instance, if you had one primary
domain such as http://mybook.com and two sub-domains such as
http://library.mybook.com and http://research.mybook.com, you would have to
invest in three separate SSL certificates. A single wildcard SSL certificate,
on the other hand, can protect not only the primary domain but an unlimited
number of sub-domains. This results in significant cost savings for those who
need this level and quality of protection.
SSL Certificate
Bottom Line
Digital SSL certificates can start from as low as $70 and
can go all the way up to several thousand dollars depending on the class and
strength of certificates you require. SSL certificates have a dated validity
and usually expire in one year. To save money, it is best to purchase
certificates with multiple year validity and shop around carefully during
renewal time. The price for an SSL certificate typically includes the cost of
customer support, trouble shooting and a warranty to cover losses arising out
of protection failure in rare instances.
To Buy or not to
Buy
Everyone
knows that the Internet has created new avenues and opportunities for
e-commerce. Unfortunately, this unbridled growth has also stirred up the
criminal element. Until now Internet commerce companies did not have a viable
solution to this rather serious problem, but now we do in the form of potent
digital SSL technology which guarantees unparalleled cyber protection to one
and all. More information about SSL
with Purpose can be found at http://ssl.live2support.com
About the Author
Live2Support Inc.
http://www.live2support.com
Email: newsletter@live2support.com
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