VeriSign brings security to small businesses
Secure Site Seal will authenticate Web sites so that consumers know they are shopping at a genuine site
VeriSign has launched a new service for ISPs and Internet hosting firms, aimed at enabling small and medium-sized businesses to securely exchange data such as credit card information and social security numbers.
Called Shared Hosting Security Service, the service addresses two key Web site security elements - authentication that the Web site does represent the business it says it does, and encryption to protect the transfer of customer information. VeriSign said that although these security needs have long been met by larger enterprises via SSL, they have not been available to the millions of small businesses that use a virtual server or hosted services.
Subscribers to the service will be able to use VeriSign's Secure Site Seal. A consumer visiting a Web site will click on the seal and VeriSign will check the Web site address, the business using that address and the company given permission to host the site. Within seconds, the consumer will see a dynamic Web page that verifies that the business name and Web site have been authenticated, and that they have the right to use the ISP's or Web host's SSL encryption to securely transfer data over the Internet, VeriSign said.
To launch the shared security services, VeriSign has partnered with companies including financial services firm Dun & Bradstreet, ISP EarthLink, hosting automation firm Ensim, and financial software developer EzWare Systems.
Secure Site will include up to $5,000 in warranty protection against economic loss due to theft, impersonation, corruption or loss of use of an ID for both the small firms and the ISP or Web hoster, VeriSign said.
