Word of the Day: EV SSL certificate

Word of the Day Daily updates on the latest technology terms | September 4, 2018 EV SSL certificate An EV SSL certificate (Extended Validation SSL certificate) is an enhanced computer networking protocol for securing connections between network application clients and servers over an insecure network, such as the internet. EV SSL certificates assure consumers that they are conducting business through a trusted website and have become the industry standard for e-commerce websites. With the constant threat of phishing attacks and identity theft, the presence of an EV certificate can improve consumer perception of a company's stability, level of customer service and ability to keep the customer's data secure. Most browser windows use the color green to alert end users that a website has been granted an EV SSL certificate.   The certification process involves strict vetting by a qualified certificate authority (CA) to confirm the identity of the applicant as well as their relationship to the legal owner of the website and its domain. Confirmation of a website's identity is carried out according to the rigorous industry guidelines established by the CA/Browser Forum, an industry group composed of leading CA issuers.   After more than a decade of use, there have been no known incidents in which a phisher successfully obtained and used an EV SSL certificate. In addition to the trust factor, EV SSL certificates are important for several other reasons, including: Compliance - Regulatory and industry standards such as PCI DSS, HIPAA/HITECH and GDPR require that companies protect customers against theft of sensitive information. EV SSL is arguably the most bullet-proof way to ensure successful auditability against these standards.   Online transactions - Users are more inclined to make purchases, share personally identifiable information, sign up for new accounts and engage in other online activities when EV SSL certificates are present.   Average Order Value (AOV) - Shoppers on sites with green address bars are more confident purchasing expensive items and are more likely to add recommended items to their carts. Quote of the Day "EV SSL certificates enhance credibility by showing discerning consumers that a prospective transaction is with a legitimate recipient and that the site is serious about protecting the data of its customers." - Michael Fowler Trending Terms certificate authority SSL certificate e-commerce HTTPS digital certificate TLS PCI-DSS Learning Center Running a private certificate authority: What are the risks? Running a private certificate authority can be a challenge. Here's how your security team can handle the situation and meet baseline requirements. How to address key SSL security issues and vulnerabilities SSL security issues are growing, from vulnerabilities in outdated versions to questionable certificates. Find out how to address these problems. 23,000 Symantec certificates revoked following leak of private keys DigiCert had more than 20,000 Symantec certificates revoked after reseller partner Trustico exposed the certificates' private keys. How to buy digital certificates for your enterprise If you're in the market to buy digital certificates, read this guide to learn what features are essential and how to evaluate the available options. What risks do untrusted certificates pose to enterprises? Untrusted certificates are still in use across major websites, even after Google and Mozilla announced plans to stop trusting them. Here's a look at some possible security risks of continuing to use these digital certificates. Quiz Yourself Ideally, digital certificates are ________ compatible with older browsers and operating systems, a concept known as ubiquity. A. backwards B. backward Answer Stay in Touch For feedback about any of our definitions or to suggest a new definition, please contact me at: mrouse@techtarget.com Visit the Word of the Day Archives and catch up on what you've missed! FOLLOW US About This E-Newsletter This e-newsletter is published by the TechTarget network. To unsubscribe from Whatis.com, click here. Please note, this will not affect any other subscriptions you have signed up for. TechTarget, Whatis, 275 Grove Street, Newton, MA 02466. Contact: webmaster@techtarget.com Copyright 2018 TechTarget. All rights reserved.