GeoTrust® is the most trusted digital certificate provider of online companies. More than 100,000 Web sites in 150 countries display the  GEOTRUST® Secured Seal to show that their site is protected by a  GEOTRUST® SSL Certificate. Sites secured by GeoTrust® SSL certificates are provide 256 bit encryption thereby offering the highest level of encryption and security possible! When you see the GEOTRUST® Secured Seal and verify its authenticity, you can feel confident that your information is protected by GEOTRUST® encryption technology.

What the  GEOTRUST® Secured Seal Means

The GEOTRUST® Secured Seal means that a connection has been established to a domain secured by a GEOTRUST® SSL Certificate. SSL enables an encrypted communication channel between your Web browser and the Web site server so that you can transfer sensitive information securely. When you send sensitive information, like a credit card number or password, encryption keeps it private.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL): How It Works

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology protects your Web site and makes it easy for your Web site visitors to trust you in three essential ways:

 • An SSL Certificate enables encryption of sensitive information during online transactions.

• Each SSL Certificate contains unique, authenticated information about the certificate owner.

• A Certificate Authority verifies the identity of the certificate owner when it is issued.

How Encryption Works

Imagine sending mail through the postal system in a clear envelope. Anyone with access to it can see the data. If it looks valuable, they might take it or change it. An SSL Certificate establishes a private communication channel enabling encryption of the data during transmission. Encryption scrambles the data, essentially creating an envelope for message privacy.

Each SSL Certificate consists of a public key and a private key. The public key is used to encrypt information and the private key is used to decipher it. When a Web browser points to a secured domain, a Secure Sockets Layer handshake authenticates the server (Web site) and the client (Web browser). An encryption method is established with a unique session key and secure transmission can begin. Our e-store checkout is protected by   GEOTRUST® security and also PayPal®'s Verisign SSL encryption. Therefore, when a customer clicks 'Proceeds to secure checkout with PayPal', they will notice the (http://) in their computure's browser window above will automatically change to (https://) SSL during checkout. This ensures 256-bit SSL encryption Certificates protects our customer's privately entered information on our secure PayPal payment page. True 128-bit SSL Certificates enable every site visitor to experience the strongest SSL encryption available to them.

How Authentication Works

Imagine receiving an envelope with no return address and a form asking for your bank account number. Every   GEOTRUST® SSL Certificate is created for a particular server in a specific domain for a verified business entity. When the SSL handshake occurs, the browser requires authentication information from the server. By clicking the closed padlock in the browser window or certain SSL trust marks (such as the GEOTRUST® Secured® Seal), the Web site visitor sees the authenticated organization name. In high-security browsers, the authenticated organization name is prominently displayed and extended   GEOTRUST® Validation SSL Certificate is detected.

Why Authentication Matters

Like a passport or a driver’s license, an SSL Certificate is issued by a trusted source, known as the Certificate Authority (CA). Many CAs simply verify the domain name and issue the certificate. GEOTRUST® verifies the existence of your business, the ownership of your domain name, and your authority to apply for the certificate, a higher standard of authentication.

GEOTRUST® Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates meet the highest standard in the Internet security industry for Web site authentication as required by CA/Browser Forum. EV SSL Certificates give high-security Web browsers information to clearly display a Web site’s organizational identity. The high-security Web browser’s address bar turns green and reveals the name of the organization that owns the SSL Certificate and the SSL Certificate Authority that issued it. Because GEOTRUST® is the most recognized name in online security in the world, GEOTRUST® SSL Certificates with Extended Validation will give Web site visitors an easy and reliable way to establish trust online.