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SSL- The Indispensable Ecommerce Tool
by Eric Lester
The next horror story about stolen credit card information is probably a few weeks away. Customers are more concerned than ever about the security of their online shopping experience. Is your store secure?
The reports of identify theft and credit card fraud are everywhere. Consumers are becoming more security conscious every day. That security consciousness translates into a reluctance to provide credit card information online. This directly impacts anyone with an online storefront. Having the security of an SSL certificate protecting your storefront gives customers a reason to feel safe when making an order. This article will cover the basics of SSL certificates.
What is SSL?
SSL stands for "Secure Sockets Layer." An SSL certificate provides
encrypted communication between the client (the customer's web browser)
and the server, when transmitting their personal information and credit
card numbers. This is accomplished through the use of a "handshake"
between the client and the server, wherein the server's identify is confirmed
and the connection is secured using, most likely, 128 bit encryption. The
encryption "key" is virtually impossible to break, making the
communications between the client and server very safe.
How to Get a Certificate
SSL certificates are offered by a variety of "authorities", including
the well-known Verisign. Other authorities include GeoTrust and Thawte.
At a very basic level, the service provided all these certificates is exactly
the same. One certificate will encrypt the data between the server and client
just as well as the next. Most simple online storefronts will require nothing
more complex than a basic SSL. Prices rise and vary when dealing with "value
added" services from the authorities. Store owners seeking only the
secure certificate would be wise to do their homework before investing in
something beyond their needs.
Installing Your Certificate
Many website hosts provide SSL certificates as add-ons for reduced prices.
Customers are not restricted to only using a host's preferred SSL vendor,
though. SSL certificates work independently of the hosting company in almost
all cases. Usually the installation process is stated either via a website's
control panel software, or by contacting a host's technical support. Sufficiently
advanced control panel systems can lead a customer through the process without
requiring the intervention of technical support. Once installed, the certificate
is invoked automatically any time someone accesses the site using a secure
protocol, such as "HTTPS" instead of "HTTP." Anyone
requiring assistance with the installation of an SSL certificate should
not hesitate to contact their hosts support department.
Design Considerations
When designing a site using an SSL certificate, there are a few rules to
keep in mind. Any page that's called securely must have all graphics, scripts,
and media elements called securely as well. Ever visited a "secure"
site and seen a warning to the effect that some elements on the page are
"not secure"? This is caused by having some external file, such
as a graphic, called without using the "HTTPS" protocol. The certificate
may still be fine, the page design is merely inaccurate for SSL. All external
elements must be called using "absolute" links, those that include
the full URL, such as "https://www." There are no exceptions,
even one small graphic called using a relative link or without the HTTPS
will create the "not secure" error.
Conclusions
SSL certificates are a requirement no one looking at ecommerce can ignore.
Consumer awareness of Internet fraud is at an all-time high, and only those
consumers who feel safe using a store will buy. Most certificate authorities
will provide graphics that can be added to a website to promote its use
of their SSL product. An advertisement for them, but a helpful way to promote
the store's security consciousness as well. A "can't miss" product
will miss if no one feels safe ordering it.
About The Author
Mr. Lester has served for 4 years as the webmaster for ApolloHosting.com
and previously worked in the IT industry an additional 5 years, acquiring
knowledge of hosting, design, and search engine optimization. Apollo Hosting
provides website hosting, ecommerce
hosting, vps
hosting, and web design
services to a wide range of customers. Established in 1999, Apollo prides
itself on the highest levels of customer support. Click for more hosting
articles.
Note: These articles are provided for general interest and content purposes only, and should not be construed as "support" materials. Apollo Hosting does not guarantee the information contained within. All articles are free to reprint so long as they remain unchanged, the "About the Author" section remains, all hyperlinks are preserved, and the rel="nofollow" tag is not added to the hyperlinks.
