Tuesday, May 21, 2013

EV SSL Certificates are Worth their Wait


Customers are learning the importance of web security and validation in e-Commerce


SSL Certificates go beyond encryption technology for businesses that participate in e-commerce or need encryption on their servers.  They validate the website. Different SSL Certificates offer different degrees of validation. EV SSL Certificates require the most stringent website validation. Because of the more stringent requirement, it is impossible to issue these certificates in minutes (as can be done for just a Domain Validation Certificate), but with an EV SSL Certificate a business gets the green address bar (which indicates the thorough validation of the company) and which customers are growing more aware of every day.


TechNavio is one of the leading companies which researches and advises on the emerging technology trends in the market.  TechNavio’s analysts forecast the Global Extended Validation SSL Certification market to grow at a CAGR of 49.99% over the period of 2011-2015. One of the key factors of the requirement is because of the increasing number of online transactions that are occurring.


Before now, utilizing the green address bar provided by EV SSL Certificates might not have shown a great boost of confidence by customers who did not learn about or understand the significance of the green address bar. However, customers are now being educated about the importance of thorough validation by both the SSL companies providing it and by recognizing it in most of their banking and other important online transactions.


EV SSL Certificates Offer Web Security at a Glance

Customers are learning about web security from the breaches of security that the media reports on. As customers lives are filled more with online transactions and communications they become more educated on the matter by default. They may have had one of their social networks hacked because of a phishing scheme or they have at least had a friend that has been affected by such an attack. They have been informed by these social networks to not give their information to false parties.
These examples lead the customers toward an education of the importance of encrypted data transfer and validation of the sites that they use. While each customer might not be able to articulate what EV SSL Certificates involve such as 256 bit strong encryption strength, they do realize if they are comfortable with the website that they are looking at and whether it promotes confidence and web security at a glance.


EV SSL Certificates Require Stringent Validation

It is not possible to get the green address bar without acquiring an EV SSL or Extended Validation SSL  Certificate. In order to be granted an EV SSL Certificate a company must pass certain background checks to insure integrity. These background and validation procedures include:

1. Establishing legal identity and operational/physical presence of website owner.
This offers a more secure validation process than a Domain Validated Certificate because it requires a physical presence, as opposed to checking only if the domain name is validated.

2. Establish that the applicant is the domain name owner AND validation of representatives.
The heightened validation requires more than simple Domain Validation, it requires validation of representatives. This helps protect customers from phishing threats and results in preserving customer loyalty for a website.

3. Confirm identity of website representatives, authorizations granted, and that organization is not on any government blacklist.
This protects customers from other potential sources of fraud. This verifies that the organization is legally registered and active also.


The Impact of EV SSL Certificates on Increased Revenue

Each business can track their conversion and identify the impact that an EV SSL Certificate will have in creating added security for their customers. Obviously, as the awareness and demand for heightened validation grows, the customers will consider the advantages of doing their business with a company that provides this level of integrity.

For smaller and medium-sized eCommerce businesses which new customers are coming across, it will certainly help to gain the trust that other larger business have already established. Many of the larger businesses also employ the EV SSL Certificate and as a result, the standard is being created.


Ecommerce site owners, web masters, and IT professionals should consider the trends of web security in order to keep the website that they work for current and relevant.

Original Source: https://www.rapidsslonline.com/blog/ev-ssl-certificates-are-worth-their-wait



Friday, May 17, 2013

Enable Authentication of Java Code Signing Certificate to Gain The Trust of Users

Easy online distribution allows developers to create fun and functional code anywhere and everywhere. Nevertheless, the potential for fraud and the spread of malicious code have also increased. With a JAVA Code Signing Certificate, websites can ensure users that code and content are safe to download. This protects a website’s most valuable professional asset: its reputation.

Code Signing authenticates the source code and confirms the integrity of the content distributed online. The JAVA Code Signing Authentication was designed for mobile and office equipment Java applications and is recognized by Java Runtime Environment (JRE). For developers and software publishers of Java applications, code signing reduces the number of error messages and builds trust in their reputation.

Java platforms (J2SE and J2ME) have security features that recognize Object Signing and verify the presence of a reliable digital signature. A security warning displays the name of the publisher, the organization and the URL. Users then choose whether to trust the certificate or display more information.

In a nutshell, Code Signing Certificates provide a virtual “package” that ensures the secure delivering of content over the internet. When customers download software containing Java signed objects, they are assured of the source of the content and its integrity with an added level of trust because the code and content of the Java applications is harder falsify or damage.



Thursday, May 9, 2013

WildCard SSL Certificates and Easy Answers

The best way to secure and protect sub-domains can be accomplished through the use of a WildCard SSL Certificate. These certificates offer convenience and affordability by use of a public key certificate which can be used with multiple sub-domains of a domain. Therefore, instead of purchasing and administering several separate SSL Certificates for each sub-domain, a business can utilize a Wildcard SSL Certificate.

While WildCard SSL Certificates provide versatility, only a single level of sub-domain matching is supported. For example, the use of *.company.com WildCard could be: subscribe.company.com, payment.company.com, login.company.com, or contact.company.com. Although, during the installation process there has been recommendations on changing the WildCard domain names to match the actual account domain name (not installing as *.company.com). It is possible to have a WildCard SSL Certificate installed to more than one sub-domain on a single IP address.

However, If you attempt to update a WildCard SSL Certificate, the single IP address method might not be retained when the WildCard is installed to more than one sub-domain on a single IP address. If there is no manual configuration then each sub-domain or domain will need its own dedicated IP address. A CPanel can be used for easier management over dedicated IP addresses when each site needs its own IP for SSL.

Installing the WildCard SSL Certificate at WHM

The WHM menu path which is used to install SSL Certificates is:

WHM: Main>>SSL/TLS>> Install a SSL Certificate and Setup the Domain
  1. Copy and paste the WildCard SSL Certificate into the first text area

  2. Permit the rest of the text area to be filled automatically

  3. Confirm that the SSL Key and CA bundle are accurate

  4. Switch the WildCard domain name to match the actual account domain name

  5. Double check that the username and IP address match the actual account involved

Issues with the WildCard SSL Certificate

Some mobile devices might not be able to connect because of authentication issues if they do not trust the certificates (because the certificate is not trusted by the customer’s browser). To help prevent this error it is best to use a trusted provider of WildCard SSL Certificates that issues a certificate the user’s browser will rely on. Basic browsers that do not support “Certificate Request” may have problems because the certificate appears invalid due to lack of verification. Intermediate Certificates are used to connect an SSL Certificate to a trusted root certificate. Commercial Certificates have the trusted root certificate built in.

Although many platforms, devices, servers, services work well with the WildCard Certificates, there are some that are incompatible such as:

* Microsoft Office Communications Server

* Microsoft Lync Server

* Oracle Wallet Manager

* Windows Mobile 5 Devices

The WildCard SSL Certificate as a Solution

There are different products which can be used to provide SSL for websites. It is important to consider which domains and sub-domains need to be protected, how they can best be protected, and what cost is affordable for the business. A WildCard SSL Certificate is a versatile tool, although it does have its limitations. IT Professionals and Web Security Experts should consider the effectiveness of the WildCard SSL Certificate in providing the security they need in the areas that they desire.

Money can be saved when using a certificate such as the WildCard by avoiding the individualized costs of other various certificates. So long as the WildCard has been properly installed it is a great resource in providing easier web security administration in a cost-effective manner. As mentioned before, the WildCard SSL Certificate will only apply to those servers which are compatible and only to secure and protect sub-domains. There are other options if protection is needed for various domain names.

Original Source:
https://www.rapidsslonline.com/blog/wildcard-ssl-certificates-and-easy-answers

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

A list of Frequently Asked Questions about WildCard SSL Certificates answered by RapidSSLonline


A WildCard SSL certificate has many advantages over a conventional SSL certificate, the most important one being it’s ability to secure not only your website URL, but also an unlimited number of its subdomains. Needless to say, a product with such  benefits does attract interest of a large pool of customers.
At RapidSSLOnline, a Certificate Authority of a wide range of brands such as VeriSign (Now Symantec), GeoTrust, Thawte, and RapidSSL, we  come across a lot of such customers on a daily basis, who are curious about this product, and have a variety of questions to ask before making a decision to buy it. And hence this post.
A follow up to my last article, which provided a brief overview of WildCard SSLs, this one aims to address most frequently asked questions on the web about the same and clears air about WildCard SSL security and how it works to protect small and wide level e-Commerce business over the web.
What is a WildCard SSL Certificate?Cheapest WildCard SSL, which protects user’s confidential information while transferring it on the web, and additionally, it protects multiple sub domains on a single server and IP address. Every Wildcard begins with an asterisk * or “star”. The star represents the wildcard part of the SSL certificate. The star can be any sub domain that shares the same base domain.
Which level of businesses need WildCard SSL security?It is a highly recommended SSL security solution to medium and wide level e-Commerce websites.
What  strength of encryption does WildCard Certificate hold?It holds the advanced 256 bit encryption  strength for single and multiple sub domains protection.
What  level of security is included in WildCard Security SSL?It protects a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) and Sub Domains on a Single Server and IP address.
Which brand’s WildCard SSL security holds an unlimited server license?RapidSSL and GeoTrust. These are two major brands  whose WildCard SSL certificate security holds an unlimited server license.
What is the issuance time of WildCard SSL security certificate?It can be issued within few minutes for a  single Domain Name.
What all web browsers are compatible with a  WildCard SSL certificate?Here is a  list of web browsers  most compatible with WildCard Cert.
  • IE 5+, 6+, 7+, 8+
  • Firefox 1+, 2+, 3+
  • Netscape 4+
  • Opera 7+
  • AOL 5+
  • Safari
What validation method does WildCard Certificate hold?It holds a complete domain validation.
Does it include trust mark or site seal feature?Yes! Its includes the trust mark or site seal feature, which is essential  to gain trust and confidence of the users.
How does one  generate WildCard SSL Certificate CSR for any web server?It is the same process, which holds other Domain Validated SSL certificate CSR. However, during the WildCard SSL generation, the common name should be *.yourdomain.com. To get a better idea about WildCard SSL Certificate CSR generation, click here.
Is  WildCard SSL security android validated?Yes, it is an Android Validated SSL security.
What is the difference between EV SSL and WildCard SSL?
EV SSL certificate is a complete domain authentication which protects single qualified domain only on a single server and IP, whereas  WildCard SSL is domain authenticated security, which protects sub domains and as well as main domains on single server and IP.
To see a list of Frequently Asked Questions about EV SSL Certificates, please click here.