The World of Webhosting

If you plan to sell products or services through your Web site, or a financial institution or government agency that deals with private personal data on a day-to-day basis, it is imperative that you protect sensitive information during online transactions. One of the main ways this is possible is by purchasing an SSL certificate from a certificate authority.

Secure Sockets Layer is a global standard security technology developed by Netscape in 1994 and creates an encrypted link between a Web server (your Web site) and a Web browser (the potential customer) to ensure that all data transmitted remains private and secure. SSL technology makes it easier for customers to trust you by displaying a certificate authority’s badge of certification on your site or the “golden padlock,” which appears in a user’s browser to indicate they are viewing a secure Web page.

An SSL certificate has become an important badge of trust for any online retailer, providing assurance to your customers that their data cannot be tampered with or forged and ensure that your customers’ sensitive data is transmitted securely.

Besides purchasing a basic SSL certificate capable of 128-bit encryption, many certificate authorities now offer an Extended Validation SSL certificate option as well. To issue an SSL certificate that complies with the standard, a certificate authority must adopt the extended certificate validation practice and pass an audit. When shoppers visit a Web site secured with an EV SSL certificate, new high-security browsers, such as Internet Explorer 7, trigger the address bar to turn green and display the name of the organization listed in the certificate as well as the certificate authority.

There are many certificate providers that offer both SSL and EV SSL certificates, one of which is GeoTrust (geotrust.com), owned by VeriSign. The company offers a basic SSL certificate package, QuickSSL, for $249 per year as well as a higher assurance option with its True BusinessID with EV package, which comes with up to 256-bit encryption, the GeoTrust True site seal and triggers the green bar in high-security Web browsers. This package starts at $899 per year.

Comodo (comodo.com) also offers standard SSL and EV SSL certificate options. For $79.95 per year, businesses can purchase an Essential SSL certificate, which ensures that information is kept private while being transmitted, verifies the control and registration of a Web site’s domain and businesses get a golden padlock and are ready to sell online within minutes of purchasing. Comodo’s EV SSL certificates work with the latest releases of major browsers and start at $849 per year.

Thawte (thawte.com), also owned by VeriSign, is a little more diverse in its SSL certificate offerings. However, a basic SSL Web Server certificates starts at $249.00 per year and comes with full authentication capable of 256-bit encryption, while the company’s SSL Web Server Certificate with EV starts at $899 per year.