Secure your site's data and increase user confidence with a Digital Certificate

thawte is a leading provider of SSL certificates globally. By making use of a thawte SSL Certificate on your company's Web server(s), you can securely collect sensitive information online, and increase business by giving your customers confidence that their transactions are safe.

What is SSL?

SSL provides secure communication by combining authentication and the encryption of data.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a protocol for securing data transmissions across the Internet. SSL is an integral part of most web browsers and web servers and makes use of the public-and-private key encryption system developed by RSA.

In order to make an SSL connection, the SSL protocol requires that a server should have a digital certificate installed. A digital certificate is an electronic file that uniquely identifies individuals and servers. Digital certificates serve as a kind of digital passport or credential which authenticate the server prior to the SSL session being established. Typically, digital certificates are signed by an independent and trusted third party to ensure their validity. The "signer" of a certificate is known as a Certification Authority (CA), such as thawte.

Do I need a digital certificate?

From a business stand point, the deployment of SSL certificates provides customers/users with the assurance that they will not be exposed to any risks associated with transmitting data over an open network. This in itself has many benefits to your business, most of which flow from increased trust when dealing with your organization online.

So, if your business relies on establishing relationships of trust with customers in order to facilitate online transactions, then the deployment of SSL certificates is essential.

The decision to deploy SSL certificates revolves around the importance attached to security of online data transfer. For instance, if you are handling financial transactions on your web site, there is no question that SSL certificates are required. If you are managing sensitive customer data such as social security numbers or identity numbers, the use of SSL certificates is worth serious consideration especially if customer/member security and privacy is high on your list of priorities.

The value of authentication

Information is a critical asset to your business. To ensure the integrity and safety of your information, it is important to identify with whom you are dealing, and the data you are receiving is trustworthy. Authentication can help establish trust between parties involved in all types of transactions by addressing a unique set of security issues including:

Spoofing:

The low cost of website design and the ease with which existing pages can be copied makes it all too easy to create illegitimate websites that appear to be published by established organizations. In fact, con artists have illegally obtained credit card numbers by setting up professional looking storefronts that mimic legitimate businesses.

Unauthorised action:

A competitor or disgruntled customer can alter your website so that it malfunctions or refuses to service potential clients.

Unauthorised disclosure:

When transaction information is transmitted "in the clear", hackers can intercept the transmissions to obtain sensitive information from your customers.

Data alteration:

The content of a transaction can be intercepted and altered en route, either maliciously or accidentally. User names, credit card numbers and currency amounts sent "in the clear" are all vulnerable to alteration.