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What Is It?

SSL is short for Secure Sockets Layer, a protocol developed by Netscape for transmitting private documents via the Internet. Since its introduction in 1994, SSL has been the de facto standard for eCommerce transaction security, because SSL is all about encryption. SSL encrypts data, like credit cards numbers (as well other personally identifiable information), which prevents the “bad guys” from stealing information for malicious intent. Customers know that they’re on an SSL protected page when the address begins with “https” and there is a padlock icon at the bottom of the page (and in the case of Mozilla Firefox in the address bar as well).

SSL uses a cryptographic system that uses two keys to encrypt data. One is a public key known to everyone, and the other is a private key known only to the message recipient. By convention, URLs that require an SSL connection begin with https: rather than http:. Further, any site that processes monetary transactions or takes in sensitive information (such as passwords) needs the protection of a SSL certificate and the use of an SSL secure server.

An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates the identity of a Web site and encrypts information that is sent to the server using SSL technology. Encryption is the process of scrambling data into an undecipherable format that can only be returned to a readable format with the proper decryption key.

Features

Web site owners must purchase a digital certificate, use the server’s built-in certificate, or generate a self-signed free certificate to instigate a secure SSL environment. To purchase a digital certificate, users first must generate and submit a Certificate Signing Request (CSR) to the Certification Authority (CA). The CSR contains a certificate-application information, including the public key. The CSR is generated (using openssl command) with Web server software, which will also create the public/private key pair used for encrypting and decrypting secure transactions.

The SSL certificate sits on a secure server and it is used to encrypt the data and to identify the Web site. The SSL certificate helps to prove the site belongs to who it says it belongs to and contains information about the certificate holder, the domain that the certificate was issued to, the name of the Certificate Authority who issued the certificate, the root and the country it was issued in.

To generate a certificate, no matter whether free or purchased, the user must have a dedicated IP address, SSL access, and an understanding of non-trusted certificates.

Who Is it For?

SSL is designed for eCommerce sites or sites that accept payments via a credit card. Web site owners in this case may design the site to allow secure SSL user login or registration.

Compatibility

SSL certificates come in 40-bit and 128-bit varieties, though 40-bit encryption has been hacked. As such, serous users look to the 128-bit certificate for higher customer security. Though there a wide variety of ways to acquire a 128-bit certificate, there is one key element that is often overlooked in order for full two-way 128-bit encryption to occur. According to SSL certificate vendor VeriSign, in order to have 128-bit encryption, the user will need a certificate that has SGC (server grade cryptography) capabilities.

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