What are SSL and Digital Certificates?
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a protocol developed by Netscape in 1996 which quickly became the method of choice 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.
About thawte
thawte, the Certification Authority chosen by hundreds of thousands, has been innovating and delivering trusted services for more than a decade.
They enable businesses and individuals to communicate and transact securely by verifying and authenticating their identities, thus allowing them to gain the trust and confidence of millions of users. Their digital certificates are used globally to secure servers, encrypt files and communication, and validate the authenticity of applications and digital code.
Through their dedication to maintaining your security they are helping to build a trusted digital future for everyone.
When is SSL used?
There are two main online security problems that digital certificates solve:
- Authentication – proving a companys (or servers) identity online and in so doing create a sense of trust and confidence in using a website.
- Encryption - offering protection for the data submitted to a website (or between servers) so that in the event of interception, it will be unintelligible without the unique key used for decryption.
Solving these security problems allows online business to protect against the following scenarios:
- Spoofing - The low cost of website design and ease with which existing pages can be copied makes it all too easy to create illegitimate sites 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.
- Unauthorized Disclosure – when information is transmitted "in the clear", making it possible for hackers to intercept the transmissions and obtain sensitive information from customers.
- Data alteration - the content of a transaction can be intercepted and altered en route, either maliciously or accidentally. User names, credit card and social security numbers as well as currency amounts, indeed any information sent "in the clear" is all vulnerable to alteration.
SSL Web Server Certificates
The thawte SSL Web Server Certificate offers comprehensive stringent authentication procedures (domain name and identity verification). It also offers 256, 128, 56 or 40-bit encryption depending on your clients browser capability and the cipher suite installed on your web server. This ensures that information is kept private while in transit between your web server and your clients web browsers.
Certificate Features and Benefits:
- Capable of delivering up to 256-bit encryption.
- Browser compatibility highest in the industry.
- Certificate details include domain name and organization name.
- Outstanding global customer support in 25 languages
- Certification Revocation List fully supported.
- Online Certificate Status Protocol fully supported.