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Secure Web Hosting
Find out what Secure Sockets Layer is and how it can benefit you:
With people having the ability to read the information of other folk, the Internet is not as safe as it once was. Hackers are people who are able to uncover the information that people pass on websites. It is also possible for them to get hold of confidential data like credit card details or passwords. Many hackers also have the ability to offer their own version of another person's website and this can be hosted on their own server. This is done to fool customers who may be unaware of these issues. The majority of hackers act to obtain information that is of value and interest about people. One way of combating these hackers is by using the Secure Sockets Layer or SSL.
Designed in 1994 by Netscape, SSL has become a security technology that is viewed as the standard around the world. It works by creating a link that is encrypted between the web server and the browser. This makes it possible to secure any information that travels between the browser and server. This process is utilized by a great number of providers of e-Business services as they recognize they need to protect their customers' details. They also know that they have a duty to protect the confidentiality of any shopping that occurs online.
SSL Certificate:
If a web server wants to use the Secure Sockets Layer protocol, it will require an SSL Certificates provided by the Certification Authorities (CA). You will have to complete several questions about the identity of your company and website, while you choose to trigger SSL on your web server. The web server then constructs two cryptographic keys i.e. a Public Key and a Private Key. The Public Key is not a furtive. It is placed in a Certificate Signing Request or CSR, which is a data file that contains your details. You then require to submit the CSR. The Certification Authority validates all the details that you have provided in the CSR throughout the SSL Certificate application process. It further allocates an SSL Certificate that contains all your details and thus allows you to use SSL. The issued SSL Certificate is matched to the Private Key by your web server. This will enable your web server to establish an encrypted link between your website and the customer's web browser.
However, all these complex procedures of the SSL protocol remain undetectable to the customers. What their browser provides to them is a key indicator that helps to let them know they are well protected by an SSL encrypted session. There is a lock icon in the lower right hand corner of your customer's browser by clicking which, your SSL Certificate and all other details are displayed. Generally, all these SSL Certificates are allotted to registered companies and to legally accountable individuals.
Information contained within the SSL certificate includes company name, the name of your domain, the city, an actual address, pin code, state and country. There is also the addition of the expiration date when the Certificate cannot be used after. There are also other details pertaining to the Certification Authority, the firm that provides the Certificate. If you have a SSL certificate, when you attempt to connect to a secure site, this will find the SSL certificate which is used by the site. A verification process that the SSL certificate of the other site is a genuine one to be trusted and is being used by the site that it has been allocated to. Similarly, the expiration date of the other site will be examined. If at any point an error is returned, a warning message will be provided to the user.
The golden padlock which appears on the browser has generated a higher degree of confidence amongst shoppers and is recognized as a symbol of trust. This has been taken on by many electronic business providers in an attempt to convince customers to shop with them. A whole host of shopping carts and commercial sites now offer shoppers the facility of securing their information through use of the SSL certificates. One thing to remember though is that if this information is then emailed to you, the information contained within the email is not secure.
The new functions:
Many users may be aware of the SSL v2 version but the SSL v3 is a much improved version. The SHA-1 based cipher has been added and this offers assistance with regards to authenticating certificates. SSL v2 had some flaws like when cryptographic keys were utilized for both the authenticating messages and encryption. In addition to this, SSL v2 did not provide any level of protection for the handshake, leaving it open to "man in the middle downgrade attacks" occurring without anyone noticing.
Another interesting progression has been TLS (Transport Layer Security) superseding SSL. There is no doubt that TLS has been heavily influenced by SSL and is viewed as a key player in Microsoft and Netscape browsers in addition to a whole host web serving products. Today, the SLL utilizes public as well as private keys to provide an encryption service from the RSA that allows users to have a digital certificate.
Do you require an SSL Certificate:
Companies who provide an online shopping provision and allow customers to use credit cards are advised to have an SSL certificate to ensure an extra layer of protection for customers.
* If you have an online store or accept online orders through credit cards you will need an SSL Certificate in order to safeguard the confidential information of your customers.
If you have a need to process information such as telephone numbers, ID numbers, license numbers, date of births or addresses then an SSL certificate can aid this process.
* An SSL Certificate helps you to process several sensitive data including date of birth, ID numbers, address, telephone number or license number safely.
There is also a need to use SSL certificates to fully pass security and privacy requirements.
Beneficial data to consider when buying SSL Certificates:
* The Certificate Authority market is quite diverse, but it is better to purchase an SSL Certificate that meets your requirements as well as budget. You can find a number of Secure Sockets Layer Certificate in different price range. The Open Directory Project identifies 22 third parties and offers over 20 root certificates that are included into Firefox and Internet Explorer. However, due to its price, it is dominated only by a few major firms.
* A survey undertaken in June of 2005 by Netcraft set out to find the names of the biggest providers of SSL certificates. This was backed up in 2007 when Security Space attempted a similar search. The top ranker was found to be Equifax, through its Geotrust arm (www.equifax.com), the next was VeriSign plus which utilized their Thawte subsidiary (www.verisign.com) as well as GoDaddy/Starfield (www.godaddy.com),, Comodo (www.comodo.com) and Digicert (www.digicert.com).
It can be seen that depending on what form of measurement is used, these six providers cover 95% of the market in this industry. The largest market share is held by Verisign with about 72% market share with Comodo coming next with around 18%. Geotrust has around 3.4% market share and GoDaddy and Entrust contain about 1% and 2.5% of the market share. The remaining providers comprise about 3 or 4% on average of the market.
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