| digital certificate
Citing concerns about security, many
people are still wary of online transactions. In an attempt to assuage
those fears, software vendors, security specialists, and online vendors
have developed the concept of digital certificates. A digital certificate
is a password-protected file that includes a variety of information: the
name and email address of the certificate holder, an encryption key that
can be used to verify the digital signature of the holder, the name of the
company issuing the certificate, and the period during which the
certificate is valid. Certificate authorities (CAs) gather information
about a person or company and then issue certificates. These certificates
can be used as online identification, much in the same way a driver's
license can verify your identity in the physical world. If an email
message or order form comes through with an attached digital certificate,
the recipient can be more confident that the document is genuine. Several
technologies (including SET, SSL, and Authenticode) are currently
competing for market share, each hoping to become the certificate of
choice. |