Australia's SSL Digital Certificate Information Centre

Web IP’s SSL Digital Certificate Information Centre has been developed to provide consumers and business with information on SSL Digital Certificates, SSL Digital Certificate providers, technical information about SSL Digital Certificate and competative prices.

Secure Sockets Layer uses a cryptographic system that encrypts data with two keys. When a SSL Digital Certificate is installed on a web site, users can see a padlock icon at the bottom area of the navigator.

When an Extended Validation Certificate is installed on a web site, users with the latest versions of Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera will see the green address bar at the URL area of the navigator.

An SSL Digital Certificate indicates that an encryption algorithm is being used to ensure that only intended parties are the recipient of a data transmission. For this reason, SSL Digital Certificates are one of the hallmarks of a solid e-commerce foundation and the de facto industry standard for protecting information from unauthorized access. In short, SSL Digital Certificates help build customer trust and website reputation by safeguarding Internet transactions.

Trust of your online customers is critical to success in any e-commerce strategy. If you dont have customer confidence at transaction time, you will loose significant business.

Online shoppers are very careful about who they are buying off online, and ow their personal details are being managed.  A survey conducted by TNS research in 2006 showed that:

   

Fraud and identity theft are the biggest barriers to people shopping online. The same TNS research showed that of online consumers, 65% shop only at sites they know and trust, and 65% of online shoppers have abandoned a shopping cart because they did not "trust" the transaction.  If you don't have a prominent SSL Digital Certificate at checkout time, in most cases, you dont have your clients business.

We get asked this question a fair bit and in most cases if you are planning on having customers transact on your website, then the answer is almost always yes! 

Imagine being told by MasterCard or Visa's Fraud Control Division that your unsecure ecommerce site was the source of your clients' credit cards being fraudulently used causing Thousands of dollars of fraud.  Bye-Bye Consumer confidence.  Bye-Bye Business.

The Extended Validation Green Bar, SSL, 128bit encryption vs 256 bit encryption, SSL Wildcard, and then choosing from a provider can be confusing.

If you're confused by it all, then we recommend installing a basic Domain Validated SSL Certificate.  These are cost effective and quick to issue.  See types of SSL Digital Certificates for more information.

If you accept credit card information and store it in a database so you can process it using an offline POS machine or charge it manually on your merchant account's website, then you definitely need an SSL certificate to secure the credit card data as it is transferred.

You also need to be very careful with the data when it is stored on your servers.  

Google PCI Compliance for more information.

If your e-commerce site forwards your visitors to a 3rd party payment processor (like PayPal) to enter the credit card information then you don't need an SSL certificate because your website won't touch the credit card information.

Great! So you're now sure that you need SSL for your e-commerce or other type of site. How do you know what type of certificate to purchase? Which SSL provider should you buy from?

Contact Web IP and we will guide you through the issuing process and conduct all off the boring administration and liaison.

Web IP Provide free advise on the best type of SSL Digital Certificate for your business.  For comprehensive information, See types of SSL Digital Certificates.

WebIP on Thawte: We believe Thawte off the best value in terms of all other providers.  They are mid range, but their service is excellent and Thawte are a well respected brand.

VeriSign is the SSL Certificate provider of choice for over 93% of the Fortune 500 and the world’s 40 largest banks. According to a TNS Study in 2006, the VeriSign Secured® Seal is the most recognised symbol of trust on the Internet and is served over 150 million times a day.

Web IP on Verisign:  They are definitely the industry leader in SSL Digital Certificates (almost 60% market share), but are also the most expensive.  They have an excellent reputation and their security measures are second to none.

Web IP on Geo Trust:  A good low to mid size provider.  I wish they had an Australian Office!

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SSL NEWS

23 March 2010

Verisign recently announced that more than 20,000 EV SSL Certificates have been issued, putting EV SSL as one of the more widely used SSL Digital Certificates worldwide.

Verisign state that "more than 75% of client systems on the Web use browsers that can display the green address bar". Compatible browsers include IE7 and above, Firefox 3.0 and above (2.5 with downloadable plug in), Safari 3.2 and above, all versions of Chrome, Opera 9.5 and up, Flock, and the iPhone.

Verisign claim that the effect of having the Extended Validation green address bar represents significant increases consumer trust in your website.   Verisign claim that testing showed 20% increase in transactions when the green bars was present.

Web IP are fans of the Extended Validation SSL Digital Certificate.  They do represent unparrelled stregnth in terms of assurance and consumer confidence; however, one point to remember is that the Extended Validation SSL Digital Certificate does not represent greater encryption.

Extended Validation SSL Digital Certificates are recommended where consumer confidence on online transaction asre paramount to the success of your business.