SSL Certificate

SSL Certificates Enable Security in an Unsecured Environment

The Web's popularity, convenience and widespread use for communication and commerce make it an easy target for malicious activity. To counter such threats, cryptographic security protocol like Secure Sockets Layer technology enabled the protection of electronically transmitted information via encryption. The result was a transformation of the Internet ? from static, presentation-style information Web pages to the modern, media-intense, interactive Web sites. SSL encryption software facilitated the explosion of e-commerce entities, and today is built into every major Web browser. At its core is the SSL certificate: an electronic document that activates the SSL capabilities of Web browsers, servers and devices.

SSL Certificates as Part of the Public Key Infrastructure

An SSL certificate contains two important elements: identifiable information about the registered domain and a public key for encrypting communication. These elements make the SSL certificate a vital component of PKI security. Public key infrastructure, or PKI, is the arrangement by which public keys are bound to their respective user identities by means of a certifiication authority. This binding of the public key to its associated user identity is accomplished upon issuance of the SSL certificate, which comes as the result of registration and issuance processes, and is digitally signed by the issuing certifiication authority. This digital signature, validated information and distinctive public key are encoded in the issued SSL certificate and, consequently, make the certificate unique and unalterable.

Entrust SSL Certificates Instill Consumer Confidence

Much like an electronic passport, the credentialing information contained in an SSL certificate serves to identify the domain to which it was issued. More importantly, perhaps, is that this information has been validated by an independent certification authority, whose signature attests for the authenticity of that certificate holder. Since the SSL certificate serves as the global standard in securing the electronic transfer of data, especially wherever financial account information is communicated, a high level of confidence must be maintained in the certificate's authentication. This confidence will always be subject to the issuing certification authority and its authentication procedures, particularly if the certification authority is not recognized by major Web browsers.

Entrust eliminates this cause for concern. With more than a decade of experience, international recognition and award-winning security solutions, Entrust SSL certificates are globally acclaimed for helping to instill high end-user awareness and meeting a high vetting standard. Entrust SSL certificates promote consumer confidence that the certificate holder's identity is authentic. That is because Entrust is inherently trusted, providing the assurance that an extensive validation process was conducted before the SSL certificate was issued.