Cheap SSL Certificates

A Certificate Authority issues digital certificates that contain a public key and the identity of the owner. The matching private key is not available publicly, but kept secret by the end user who generated the key pair. The certificate is also a confirmation or validation by the CA that the public key contained in the certificate belongs to the person, organization, server or other entity noted in the certificate. A CA’s obligation in such schemes is to verify an applicant’s credentials, so that users and relying parties can trust the information in the CA’s certificates. CAs use a variety of standards and tests to do so. In essence, the Certificate Authority is responsible for saying, “yes, this person is who they say they are, and we, the CA, verify that”.

If the user trusts the CA and can verify the CA’s signature, then he can also verify that a certain public key does indeed belong to whoever is identified in the certificate.

Not all Certificate Authorities are created equal

For businesses considering a choice of CA providers, it is important to remember that your choice does in fact matter. Not all SSL certificates are issued equally and businesses should consider the level and rigor of authentication and security that goes into the SSL certificates in which you place the trust of your brand and your customers. Organizations should ensure that CA’s publish their policies and undergo routine audit to ensure a secure infrastructure. Regrettably, there is no minimum standard within the current SSL certificate market. Although price certainly plays a significant role in the purchasing process, as the multiple CA breaches this year have reminded us, we suggest price should be but one of many factors in selecting a CA. When evaluating a CA we urge you to take into account the following considerations:

• Diligence of the security used by the CA to protect cryptographic keys
  • Specifically designed hardened facilities to defend against attack
  • Hardware-based cryptographic signature systems
  • Regular third party audits
  • Thorough network security and antimalware defense
• Enforcement of dual control certificate issuance used by the vendor
• Use of authentication/registration best practices to identify ownership
• Documented CA employee background investigations to protect against insider threat
• Strong history of the vendor’s trust and security

For consumers, it is important to know that SSL remains the most effective method of secure web data transmission. It is equally critical to remain aware of who is behind the security of the web site you are doing business. Are they reputable? Do they have a proven record of accomplishment for issuance of certificates? Do they have a robust infrastructure in place to prevent these types of attacks? Further protect yourself online, know what to look for:

• Updated browser software to obtain the latest set of valid root keys
• Watch for the green address bar provided by Extended Validation (EV) SSL for extra protection
• Look out for a recognized trust mark such as the Secured Seal.
• Keep an eye out for the ‘s’ in “https” in the URL to indicate a secure environment

Watch for the padlock to verify who has signed the SSL certificate, and ensure that you recognize the CA.

At the end of the day, it is important for the community to understand that there is nothing inherently broken with SSL, it is really just about CA’s and businesses doing the right thing and ensuring that consumer information remains secure. CA’s that follow established best practices for securing private keys, along with vigilant enforcement of stringent authentication practices are critical components in keeping the Internet a safe environment for all.

Certificate Authorities:

Below Certificate Authorities, which are provides Trusted SSL Certificates.

RapidSSL is an internet security specialist, focused on providing small/medium businesses with strong 128 / 256-Bit encryption, industry standard SSL Certificates. RapidSSL® is dedicated to being the lowest cost provider of SSL to the entry-level marketplace and offers a number of SSL Certificate brands. Buy RapidSSL Certificates

GeoTrust is the world’s second largest digital certificate provider, and a leader in a wide variety of Identity and Trust services. GeoTrust’s comprehensive array of technologies enables organizations of all sizes to secure e-business transactions cost effectively.  Buy GeoTrust SSL Certificates

Thawte has a history that gives a uniquely cosmopolitan view of business – one that reflects a truly international perspective. The focus of Thawte® remains on extending a trusted relationship on the internet to anyone, anywhere, as his commitment to the egalitarian ethos of the internet. Buy Thawte SSL Certificates

VeriSign continues to lead the SSL Certificate industry as a member of the CA/Browser Forum, a standards making body focused on High Assurance SSL Certificates. SGC enabled SSL Certificates provide 128 – 256 Bit encryption to over 99.9% of web site visitors, including the tens of millions who use certain older versions of Microsoft® Windows and Internet Explorer. Buy VeriSign SSL Certificates

ClickSSL is platinum partner company of RapidSSL, Thawte, GeoTrust and Verisign that owns all of its own roots provide the highest level of credibility, certificate stability and server security. These all CAs are leader in identity verification and trust services for e-business. Its products include web security services for secure e-commerce transactions, identity verification and managed security services that help consumers recognize whether a site has been verified and is safe for the exchange of confidential information. Choose Cheap SSL Certificates

If you are entering sensitive personal data on a page, look for a lock icon to the left of the site’s URL in the address bar to see if the site uses SSL. SSL is a protocol that provides an encrypted tunnel between your computer and the site you are viewing. Sites can use SSL to prevent third parties from interfering with the information traveling through the tunnel.

Icon	What it means
	The site is not using SSL. Most sites do not need to use SSL because they do not handle sensitive information. Avoid entering sensitive information, such as usernames and passwords, on the page.
	Google Chrome has successfully established a secure connection with the site. Look for this icon and make sure the URL has the correct domain, if you are required to log in to the site or enter sensitive information on the page. If a site uses an Extended Validation SSL (EV-SSL) certificate, the organization’s name also appears next to the icon in green text. Make sure the browser is set to check for server certification revocation to identify sites with EV SSL certificates.
	The site uses SSL, but detected insecure content on the page. Be careful if you are entering sensitive information on this page. Insecure content can provide a loophole for someone to change the look of the page.
	The site uses SSL, but detected high-risk insecure content on the page or problems with the site’s certificate. Do not enter sensitive information on this page. Invalid certificate or other serious https issues could indicate that someone is attempting to tamper with your connection to the site.

SSL warning messages

You might get a warning message when detects the site you are visiting might be harmful to your computer.

See more details about the site

Click theicon or the lock icon to see even more details about the site’s identity, your connection, and your visit history for the site.

Site identity

Sites using SSL present security certificates to the browser to verify their identity. Anyone can set up a website pretending to be another site, but only the real site possesses a valid security certificate for the URL you are trying to reach. Invalid certificates could indicate that someone is attempting to tamper with your connection to the site.

Icon	What it means
	The site’s certificate is valid and its identity has been verified by a trusted third-party authority.
	The site has not provided the browser with a certificate. This is normal for regular HTTP sites (look for theicon in the address bar), because certificates are usually provided only if the site uses SSL.
	Google Chrome has detected problems with the site’s certificate. You should proceed with caution because the site may be pretending to be another site in order to trick you into sharing personal or other sensitive information with them.

Your connection to the site

Lets you know whether your connection is fully encrypted. If your connection is insecure, third parties might be able to view or tamper with the information you provide on the site.

Icon	What it means
	Successfully established a secure connection with the site you are viewing.
	Site is not encrypted. This is normal for regular HTTP sites (look for the icon in the address bar).
	Site is encrypted, but detected mixed content on the page. Be careful if you are entering information on this page. Mixed content can provide a loophole for someone to manipulate the page. This content could be third-party images or ads embedded on the page.
	Site is encrypted, but detected mixed scripting on the page. Be careful if you are entering personal information on this page. Mixed scripting can provide a loophole for someone to take over the page. This content could be third-party scripts or videos embedded on the page. If you are connected to the Internet via a public wireless network, mixed scripting is especially risky because wireless networks are easier to tamper with than wired networks.

Visit history

This will show if you have ever visited the site before. However, if you have cleared cache and cookies, the visited history is also cleared.

Icon	What it means
	You have visited the site before, so chances are you trust this site.
	You have never visited this site before. This message is normal if you know this is true. However, if the site looks familiar and you did not clear your browsing history recently, it may be pretending to be another site. Please proceed with caution.

Credit: ClickSSL.com Blog