What is a Digital or SSL Certificate, how to buy & manage?

In a virtual world, there is always an element of doubt when sending or receiving sensitive information. A large percentage of internet users leave websites when asked to provide any information about themselves, simply because the website was not a secure website.

There is no better way of building users' trust than by enabling SSL on your website and getting an SSL Certificate for your website. A Digital Certificate allows you to establish your credentials when doing business or other transactions on the Web. You can present a Digital Certificate electronically to prove your identity or your right to access information or services online.

This is an entry level certificate which provides basic validation and authentication for your Customers. If you require your SSL certificates immediately, and are setting up a basic web presence, this certificate is right for you. Through SSL encryption, the certificate assures that information is kept private between your web server and your client's web browsers.

Digital Certificates, bind an identity to a pair of electronic keys that can be used to encrypt and sign digital information. A Digital Certificate makes it possible to verify someone's claim that they have the right to use a given key, helping to prevent people from using phony keys to impersonate other users. Used in conjunction with encryption, Digital Certificates provide a more complete security solution, assuring the identity of all parties involved in a transaction.

A Digital Certificate is issued by a Certification Authority (CA) and signed with the CA's private key. A Digital Certificate typically contains the:

* Owner's public key
* Owner's name
* Expiration date of the public key
* Name of the issuer (the CA that issued the Digital Certificate)
* Serial number of the Digital Certificate
* Digital signature of the issuer

What are Digital Certificates used for? Digital Certificates can be used for a variety of electronic transactions including e-mail, electronic commerce, groupware and electronic funds transfers.

For example, a customer shopping at an electronic mall requests the Digital Certificate of the server to authenticate the identity of the mall operator and the content provided by the merchant. Without authenticating the server, the shopper would not trust the operator or merchant with sensitive information like a credit card number. The Digital Certificate is instrumental in establishing a secure channel for communicating any sensitive information back to the mall operator.

When would you require a Digital Certificate? If you are running a virtual mall, electronic banking website or any other electronic services website then customers may abandon your website due to concerns about privacy and security. A server with its own Digital Certificate assures users that the server is run by the organisation it claims to be affiliated with and that the content provided is legitimate.

Solution Point sells 4 types of thawte Digital Certificates, click here to buy SSL certificate an secure web site and servers, start at Rs.1595 per year!