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Norton Secured Seal
Discover, with TBS internet, the Norton Secured Seal, the most recognized trust logo worldwide. An SSL certificate is no longer required as the seal is available after an organisation audit and comes with a malware detection system. More details...




authentication  See pdf document


TBS Internet recently placed on its website new visual elements indicating each product authentication level with stars. Why ? What's the authentication? How to use this information when choosing your SSL certificate?

SSL certificates have 2 essential missions:

  • cypherment: the encryption of data traveling from a machine to a server (meaning that information given by a web user could only be read by the rightful owner of the SSL certificate)
  • authentication: it is the identification of the website's owner. The authentication level varies with the kind of certificate: it is null for a domain validated certificate and complete for an Extended Validation one.


Those 2 functions are graphicaly interpreted on your browsers:

  • the safe lock (usualy on the bottom right-hand corner of internet pages) indicates that the connection is encyphered
  • the URL bar gives authentication information. A 6-factor certificate (HIGH authentication) will display the green address bar. Some browser display other elements to help you spot the important information. (see under)


HTTPS connection with an SSL certificate



WHY CHOOSING A GOOD AUTHENTICATION LEVEL?

SIMULATION EXERCISE:

You're on an e-commerce website and are about to buy goods after having spoted the safe lock. You are then reassured and place an order and give, whitout much thought, your credit card information.

Conclusion: Those information can only be read by the owner of the website. YES, BUT WHO'S THE OWNER? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HIM?



1-factor certificates (aka Domain Validated) can be bought by anybody for they are delivered without any audit. They then display the safe lock but can be owned by hackers. They are usually used on phishing websites to throw webusers into confusion.

Phishing is a Website graphic ID fraud that aims to intercept personal data that web user will give thinking they are on a genuine website.

AUTHENTICATION AND AUDIT

Each authentication level matches an audit type. The higher the authentication, the higher the audit level will be.

  • One star: 1-factor (domain validated): we do not sale this kind of certificate, they do not give any information about their owners. Their issuance is not submited to any audit process, a simple domain validation by email is enough.
  • Two stars: 2-factor: not numerous in our range of products, those SSL certificates are delivered after a simple audit: the company's ID is checked as weel as the ownership of the domain name.
  • Three stars: 3-factor: intermediary certificates, they require a stronger audit. We check the real existence of the company and of the website and we make sure that it is the company that actually required the certificate.
  • Four stars: 6-factor: those are Extended Validation certificates, the most secured on the market. We check the existence of the company, the ownership of the website (whois), the manager that appears on legal documentation (K bis)... This kind of certificate can't be usurpated and can't be sold to companies that are less than 3 years old. They display the green address bar, the name of its owner and the certification authority in the URL bar.



Whatever constraints may those certificates represent, TBS Internet guides you during every step to ease your SSL certificate issuance.

LET'S PLAY!


WILL YOU BE ABLE TO SPOT THE FRAUD?
Answer that question thanks to our ILLUSTRATED QUIZZ.

Through 10 questions, find out about the hackers tricks to get to your personal data and learn how not to let yourself trapped.


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Our prices are in euro VAT-less and order-time payment, see also our general sales terms.
Last modified: 29 September, 2011