What Is Extended Validation Ssl & Its Uses
SSL certificates were created primarily for the reason of curbing Internet fraud that caused a decrease in the amount of online sales. Forrester Research conducted a study in 2005 that found more than 80% of people who were surveyed felt that retail organisations weren't taking online security seriously. 24% of the people surveyed made not online purchases due to concerns with the security of their financial information.
During the year 2006, a distinct group of SSL Certificate Authorities (CAs) and creators of various Internet browsers approved practices that were standardised to validate certificates and display the standard to viewers of the website. A CA needs to implement the extended certificate validation practice and pass an audit conducted by Webtrust. To obtain an Extended Validation SSL Certificate, the CA must also authenticate domain ownership of the certificate applicant, authenticate the identity of the organisation, and validate authority and employment of the person approving the application.
One of the greatest benefits to an extended SSL certificate is the confidence level experienced by customers who visit the site. Customers are aware that they are completing secure transactions, while their personal and financial information is being encrypted to prevent fraud. Businesses that have established a large brand and are popular are usually targeted by hackers and people with malicious intent. Phishing scams are very common and usually perpetrated by using the name and brand of large, established companies; SSL can prevent these scams from occurring.
When considering a certificate it is important to remember that some Internet browsers may have a graphical interface that doesn't differentiate between a "low-validation" certificate and a certificate that was issued after a website passed a strict set of criteria. Any website that has a certificate will show a padlock icon in the browser, which users are most likely not aware of the differences between a validated website owner and a non-validated owner. Due to the reason of many browsers showing padlocks for sometimes questionable validation, many people looking to commit fraud have begun using SSL to add credibility, albeit false.