University of Maryland Suffered from Data Breach

The University of Maryland has announced that more than 300,000 records including staff, affiliated individuals, and students were breached during 19th Feb 2014 attack.

President Mr. Wallace D. Loh said in a statement that only personal information of people was breached, but academic, health, contact, and financial records remained safe during this attack. The information about the data breach received from Brian Voss, a vice president of information technology. The records contained name, SSN (Social Security number), date of birth, and University identification number.

The university technical experts immediately handled the matter with diligence and cautions. Even law enforcement authorities are also investigating in this matter. Computer forensic investigators are investigating log files to resolve how attackers gained success in avoiding security defenses.

The university is now providing a one-year security monitoring service to affected people. The additional information about activation of monitoring service will be provided within next 24 hours.

The university has put FAQs at its website www.umd.edu/datasecurity and provided a number 301-405-4440 for any question and comments.

University also recommended some tips to people that are as follows.

• Do not share individual information over the phone and email.
• To verify the person always ask for a callback number.
• If any text is of no use, then delete it immediately.
• Never respond to unknown emails.

Cyber crime becomes a headache for organizations, institutions, corporate, SMBs, and for all other sectors. There are millions of records were breached during 2013 year, and security analysts also expecting more data breaches in the year of 2014. In this situation, it is desirable to consider security precautions for both users and organization side to avoid cyber crime.

User should gain more knowledge to keep their data safe online and even stored data in PC, Mobiles, Ipads, etc.

For organization, SSL or secure socket layer is an option to encrypt the data during transitions. Outsiders will not be able to interpret your record, when you keep it in an encrypted form. SSL security Certificate provides a security layer to your online data, so cyber culprits could not use it in an illegal way.

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VeriSign Secure Site EV – A trusted endpoint for Online Security

VeriSign Secure Socket Layer certificate is one of the most secure SSL certificate in the world. VeriSign Certificate is now available from Symantec. Studies say that 97% of eCommerce Business uses VeriSign SSL Certificate. As a leading provider, VeriSign SSL gets over 600 million-page views a day. VeriSign SSL certificate can increase customer trust in your website. When clients have more confidence, your eCommerce Business will get a large amount of traffic. Every day VeriSign performs analysis of public Websites. The seller will receive an email to let you know that hackers are trying to hack your website or if Malware is found. Daily Malware scan helps to make your site free from malware and other attacks.

ClickSSL is a Trusted SSL Certificate Provider and platinum partner of VeriSign, offering services such as SSL Certificates Extended Validation (EV SSL), VeriSign Trust Seal, two factor authentication, identity protection, malware scan, digital signature, and public key infrastructure.

We prefer VeriSign Secure Site EV SSL, because of its high level of security. VeriSign Secure Site EV Certificate provides a minimum of 40-bit and 256-bit encryption and more than 99% browser recognition.

It also includes a $1,500,000 warranty and the VeriSign Secured Seal. Extended Validation certificate displays a green address bar in high-security browsers. This will help to gain the trust of customers.

EV SSL is the best answer of security issue for online shoppers. EV SSL Certificate has been designed to enhance e-commerce security and fight against phishing attacks, which make the SSL Certificates most demanded in the online market. This helps eCommerce merchants increase trust and, build long-term returns.

Visitors and customers can show confidence in their searching, browsing, and shopping because they can benefit from secure transactions with VeriSign Secure Site Extended Validation SSL. It has features such as

• More than 99% browser recognition
• $ 1,500,000 warranty
• The VeriSign Trust Seal
• Minimum 40-bit and maximum 256-bit encryption

ClickSSL is the largest global supplier of SSL certificates and Platinum Partner of VeriSign, GeoTrust, Thawte and RapidSSL. Our business is focused on the Renew VeriSign SSL and related security products.

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Which protocols are work in a VPN?

In clear term VPN (Virtual Private Network) is approach to remote chains or users via internet or public telecommunication platform that is experienced by individual secure network. Similar VPN compels affirmed users and the data allowed on VPN is conserved with firewall and encryption technologies. Their lives dual castes of VPN initially remote access VPN and second site to site VPN. Remote users are beneficial for traveling person connotes that are functioning from spot to spot and site to site VPN is applied for a person that is in a sphere like regional office.

Users can ascertain their work email and work websites which cannot be demoed on the common internet. VPN connection to a business’s central office can assist its employees be bountiful when they’re on the flow. The central advantage to exercise VPN that there is no want of leased line, security advancement, adaptability of work for employees traveling in a dissimilar locus, conserving of time and cost to commute for employees, meliorate in productivity. The above most a business stipulates a scalability, certainty, security.

Remote access VPN:

A remote access VPN ascertains harmless associations of users with a remote network. It has two component first is NAS (network access server) and the other is client software. NAS commonly adjoins a user via internet to use VPN. User has to allow bona fide details to log in to VPN. NAS is a devote server and has its own appreciate approach.

When employee wants to bear VPN software should be built on their computer. The client software setup the tunneled connection to an NAS, which the user displays by its Internet address. The software also allows the encryption needed to maintain the connection harmless.

Site- to- site VPN:

Site-to-site VPN commonly adjusts bond between head office to its different branch offices, hence it builds in fix locations. It divides two castes of VPN intranet based and extra-net based. If a company has one or more remote places that they covet to adhere in an individual confidential network, they can conceive an intranet VPN. Extra-net based VPN affixes one company with another or its associate, agent or customer. Both acts in a harmless environment with differentiate intranets. There is alike software applied in remote access.

Tunneling Process for VPN:

VPN accepts bi-form castes of tunneling – voluntary and essential. VPN tunneling composes building in and conserving network connection, through this connection packets which are in VPN protocol format are encapsulated within carrier protocol and then transmitted between VPN client and server and conclusively de-capsule on acceptor side. VPN applies Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) to capsule IP packets over a public network, alike as the Internet. There are common castes of tunneling protocol like PPTP, L2TP, and IP safety. The aim of the tunneling protocol is to affix a level of shelter that covers each packet on its roam over the Internet.

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How to Know You Are Shopping On A Safe Website?

SSL is a secure socket layer, which prevents phishing, spyware or any kind of Malware attacks. It boosts customer’s confidence. SSL encrypts the information that flows between the user’s browser and owner’s website. When customer sees the green bar in address bar, he become ready to transact online and that action enhance the profitability of an enterprise.

As we have seen that in few years, E-commerce is developing so fast but there is a concern of security. SSL removes all the hurdle of phishing and other malwares and provides customer a healthy online shopping environment. There are steps by which online visitor will know that whether the site is secure or not.  

(a) A standard web site without SSL security displays “http://” before the web site address in the browser address bar. This moniker stands for “Hypertext Transfer Protocol,” and is the conventional way to transmit information over the Internet.

However, a web site that is secured with a SSL Certificate will display “https://” before the address. This stands for “Secure HTTP.”

(b) You will also see a padlock symbol on the top or bottom of the Internet browser (depending on which browser you are using).

(c) When you click on the padlock symbol on the page, it will display details of the relevant certificate with company information as verified and authenticated by the CA.

• Standard SSL Certificate (Blue Address Bar)

• EV SSL Certificate (Green Address Bar)

Credit: https://www.techihawk.com/2012/07/site-is-secure-to-online-shopping.html

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Points should be followed for online banking security

Internet security is the most important requirement of online business. By following few steps you can secure your network from hackers and attackers. 

This stuff will help you to develop safe internet habits and keeps you away from unwanted security issues to your personal security.

Strong Password:-

There are some steps by following it we can improve chances of not being hacked. A person should always use a strong password and password would be with so many combinations. The password should be more than 6 characters long and combines both alphanumerical characters and special characters. It is highly recommended resetting your password at least every 1 to 2 months. 

Don’t use same password for your every account:-

Some users are lazy they keep same password for their every account but it is not good habit. Sometimes it might create a problem for them. It is not advisable to use Facebook login password as your web banking access password. Keep a separate password for your each login. You don’t need to remember them you can manage your password with password management programs like Keepass.

Be careful while answering security question:-

Security questions are for us. If we forget the password security questions might help us.  For example there is a question like what your birth place is person who knows you can answer the same question. Don’t answer such question or answer it on different way.

Increase the security level:-

Always secure your e commerce site with SSL Certificate to protect your customers.  Do not enter your personal details on those sites which are not having SSL Certificates. Always trust on https instead of only http.

Authentication provides an effective benefit to your site and ensures that the people who are your customers are safe in your network. There is wide range of various level of encryption. You need to select the solution level that is appropriate for your business.

No matter what business you run but the main factor of your securing your internet security. Always deal with trusted, reputable and reliable certificate authorities like Symantec or SSL certificate provider. ClickSSL is one of the most reliable SSL Provider and reseller of trusted Certificate Authorities.

Credit: https://www.itmashable.com/2012/07/4-steps-to-better-online-banking.html

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What is Secure Site Seal?

Lack of confidence in the identity of the website is the biggest loss for any e commerce website. Secure Site Seal is a big contributor to get such confidence. Secure Site Seal helps you to build up your customers’ confidence and takes the success graph of your e commerce website.

Having a Secure Site Seal to your website is an additional trust of your customer. SSL Secure Site Seal is a mark of security for your website. Secure Site Seal will show your customer that you have invested in SSL and your website is authenticated. The Secure Site Seal is an indicator of trust and security. Secure Site Seal converts your site visitors into customers.

Secure Site Seal is a way to provide Trust and Confidence to the visitors. The Secure Site Seal is not only gives visual confidence but boost in your reliability.

Features of Secure Site Seal:-

• When your customer click on click on verify they can see your company profile.
• You can very easily install Secure Site Seal to your website. Simply copy and paste canned HTML code into the location on the web page where you wish the Secure Site Seal to be displayed.
• Selection of sizes and formats- static GIF or animated Flash.

The Secure Site Seal will seem on your web page exactly where you place it in your code. To determine which type of certificate you have on your site you will need to load your certificate, either through a browser or a command line utility and view the certificate information.

The Secure Site Seal ensures that all confidential transactions are protected with highly reliable SSL encryption. A Secure Site Seal provides to your visitor visible grounds that the Web site that displays it can be trusted.

Credit: http://www.axetue.com/2012/07/05/what-is-secure-site-seal/

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Google App Engine launched in Europe with SSL Encryption

Google’s app engine served in North America for the past four years. Now Google has launched app engine in Europe Union (EU). It is launched with a version 1.7 with premium accounts. It will help customers as well developers to process their site quickly. App Engine 1.7.0, developers can give out applications through HTTPS on custom domains. It presents both SNI and VIP based SSL. SNI permits multiple domains to allocate the same IP address while still allotting a separate certificate for each domain. VIP means a separate IP address for a developer with a single host name.

Google app engine v.1.7.0 is available $500 per month with a 99% up-time guarantee and can create maximum app on premier’s account. Google has also augmented the application dimension limit from 150MB to 1GB. With this launch of app engine developers have keen sight on better search, cross app namespace, SSL supports for custom domain, faster import and export of data, faster data storage and cloud SQL availability. Google app engine has speed up service that speeds up the loading ratio of web pages. Person can store longitude and latitude as a GeoPoint in a GeoField. The GeoPoint set permits you to make map locations searchable. You can search documents from GeoPoint.

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Characteristics of software security

To be secure in respect of Software security is obligatory for the developers. As per research held in US by FBI a near about $0.26 billion setback occurs due to security offend. Internet serves huge data for both personal and business. Also there are email and mobile traffic which enhance the security for internet. Hence for a software developer a security and its parameters must be followed to offer software a secure environment. There are some parameters like integrity, Legitimacy, accessibility, confidentiality.

Integrity: The software and its quality must be confirmed against rebellion which includes unauthorized alteration of software code, configuration and modification by unauthorized. Without software integrity companies lose credibility and threat monetary loss due to software blunder and virus. Integrity should be maintained in software’s development and its execution. Why integrity is need? For example when a program is on hard disk it may become victim of virus attack or the program code may be changed. Sometime the download file on web may not respond suitably. Development teams are under pressure to get the software even faster and of high quality. Cost of failure is increasing and codebases are growing in software making. Such elements force engineer to integrate software.

Legitimacy: If an attacker falsifies the software code before its execution then the software security can be evade. In software legitimacy defender can identify change of value in asset done by an attacker before the asset is utilized. Legitimacy confirms the identity of a software program. Authorization is the process of specifying access rights to resources for identified credentials. If the credentials are varying then the access request is declined. The software must ensure that any uniqueness is hidden by unauthorized source especially in open source software.

Accessibility: The software must be unwrapping and prepared to its authorized users adversely it is unauthorized for unknown. All the information and communications services will be ready for use when expected. Accessibility contains three sets of permissions like read, write and execute.

Confidentiality: The asset and its subject are secured and cannot be copied by attackers. Confidentiality provides privacy and reduces identity theft; it also gives a form of security to a situation. Confidentiality is like knowing something but keeping it locked securely away. It prevents you from being cheated by attackers hence software fairness may prevent.

Credit: http://reviewsontech.com/software/properties-of-software-security.html

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How to Protect yourself from Online Threats : Fundamental of Web Protection

Threat is an alarm for web world. The globe is rapidly altering in respect of cyber globe in compare trouble respecting threat and virus is blasting. Since final two years, an issue of malware activity is added in an ample account, which crosses million. It defines each second a fresh malware is developing to assault on our network. Hence, people applying internet frequent must have to abduct precaution for a heedful and safe surfing other than there is a bet of burglarizing your confidential particulars across the internet in a single click. Formal access to cover web is today decreasing its strength. Hence, it is age to cover our web with multi layer and encrypted access against current malware. There are numerous denotes which one should hold in mind while allowing safety to your web which includes different appearance of web safety.

URL Security:

URL safety can be acquired by purifying URL.URL purifies lean to act at primary layer. We can adjudicate the beneficial and atrocious URL and can cover from upcoming threat. In anteceding day Attackers run malicious site, e-mails, and host on domain but in today’s time Attackers are leveraging otherwise authorized sites either by contaminating a vulnerable web application or by infringing overly amiable rules for user assigned content.

Hence, while the domain may be absolutely beneficial, a single page or pick of content may be impacted with malicious content. It is considerable for you to administer third-party cookie behavior. Numerous malware aims auto complete data in order to burglarize passwords or other individually identifiable details. Always bind Add-ons to an absolute few in order to diminish the assault display area for exploits. You should purify content for users operating remotely. You should conserve in mind that your chosen browser has popup blocking enabled.

When a shopper buy items from your online store, the organization use the secure URL that is integrated with all site to make sure that consumer’s credit card number and individual data entered on online store are secured using an SSL Certificate.

Prognostic Threat filtering:

All web activity flows through scanners, which detect perceived and unknown malware. In addition to determining perceived malware as it acts across authorized sites, this purifying can also allot safety across current hazards regardless of where they are hosted. Employing network-based antivirus affirms that an only point of collapse does not live when disclosing malicious binaries. When a user access website, the traffic should be scanned with signatures and behavior technology.

Strong Password:

The resolve of password is to allocate only affirmed users hence password must be hardy otherwise hackers will acquire charge of it. You should preserve extensive passwords compile character, icon, upper and lower case of alphabets. Never utilize date of birth or car no, passport no, license number for enlisting password. Always adjust your password commonly. Always maintain your password in mind otherwise if it is complex to recall than note down it.

System update:

Always maintain your system up to date comprising players, browsers, OS, PDF files. There is mostly conventional assaults approach from non update of system. It is worth acting an investment in system patches. A mere way to maintain patch is auto updating of system. System patches and updates act a number of targets to assure that your operating system and/or third party software run securely and efficiently. System update accepts security affection, update drivers and subsystems affix updated tool, ban outdated component.

User instruction:

There should be a data or guidance about the websites to avoid malware attacks. A good policy always stats that Do not open spam mail, never follow attachment link in unknown senders, real time up gradation of web browsers, unnecessary web browsing should be stopped during working duration that also increase productivity. If any unusual suspect find it should be reporting. Such kind of pattern keeps away your network from malware attacks.

Content filtering:

Content purify beholds in content of a web page and can detect the content and if disclosed malicious will be blocked. Only to assure URL is not adequate in today’s world. Content purifying software is sometimes also applied on domestic computers in order to bind approach to ill-matched websites for children applying the computer. It agrees organizations to build policies around a caste of content castes that can be utilized to assign malware, thereby easing the hazards of affection. It advances bandwidth customization by banning malware content.

Credit: http://www.trickstime.com/2012/06/how-to-protect-yourself-from-online.html

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Cyber Security – a necessary or unnecessary prospect

Scenario:

Security endures a name, which holds an ancient bond with our broadening in materialistic aspect, when there is invention; there lives a probe adjunct being embezzlement, wreck or harmfulness.

Due to the macrocosm is blended in bi-form elements determines the defective by the atrocity.  From history to present beside by for the time to come security development claims a climacteric role in our globe, security can be adjunct financial component, cell phones, computer, online businesses, software, any material element, it endures a critical aspect of mortal life.

As we encompass that the Earth is become a village now a days. Hence anything you expect in shape of material exists efficiently feasible; a person sitting in any niche of the world can acquires contact effortlessly with any person or detect solution for its necessities. It actually could be attainable only by the consecrating of Cyber Technology it has commuted our conventionality as well as our psychology. No one had the condemnation in history that humankind will be on such a proud peak in this universe.

Overview:

Cyber security prevails today a modernistic challenge in today’s globe. Due to phishing scam, identity theft, hacking, manipulation of online money exchange, malware attacks, fraud sites, spyware, viruses etc. a somebody may loss his considerable information on maintained on his computer or it may crawl down his network speed, embezzlement his confidential information and abuse of his identity. If in that respect will be no security a stream of information will be cease which affects in loss for the businesses. So to cease such cyber terrorism a Cyber Security Act has accomplished to in existence in 1995. It allows affirmation to us about a flowing of facts of individual, a defensive online environment and cautious online exchanges and activities, rebuilt our trust.

One of the commanding broadly applied security standards today is ISO/IEC 27002, which began in 1995. This benchmark consists of dual elementary components. BS 7799 part one and BS 7799 part two both were discovered by (British Standards Institute) BSI. Currently this standard has become ISO 27001. The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released several special publications relating cyber security for organizations.

Cyber security is a thriving industry, with quickly enhancing requirement in government and industry.  A survey by trustful internet movement found that there are 75% of the most famed sites are vulnerable with browser exploit. Hence the vulnerability of site compels alertness, time and awareness. Over the antedating ten years, multiple cyber assaults occurred aiming both governmental agencies and private companies. In 2000 ample commercial websites like yahoo, Amazon, e-bay etc has become victim of damage of $1.7 billion and in 2003 a slammer worm infected world’s computers in couple of minutes. Hence a cyber security is an ablaze question for every human being using internet applications.

Necessary or Unnecessary:

Cyber Security will guard us from sniper attacks. It helps us to browse the safe websites. It provides internal security process with all the ingress and outgoing data on our computer. It defends from hacks and virus. It is being modified on proper time so our computer feel safe environment and prevents from upcoming attacks. It protects from accidental download of virus and malware and spyware, protection from data corruption and theft. Person can easily shop online without obstruction.

The business litigate will be smooth and people will regain confidence through cyber security. Giant corporation where network is mandatory which connects many computers can well be a victim of a cyber offense and many important information will be misused by hackers but cyber security will provides a safety seal to such organizations and as well as their customers. It is satisfactory that as we will communicate through new generation cyber crime will takes a new form to cheat us so it is time to awake for ourselves for a secure and healthy cyber environment.

Users keep prevail harmless online by bypassing hazardous files and websites. In today’s globe if your company holds no cyber security then it prevails an unlock access for hackers to manipulate your system. Hackers can steal tax information, Social Security Numbers of employees, contact data from your customers and anything else that you have stored on your computer.

According to “Entrepreneur” magazine, about half of all small- to mid-sized business holders appear not has decent security on their computers. It upholds the information on your computers protect from outside eyes. All computers or networks oblige antivirus and anti-spyware programs, firewalls and defends across spam and phishing frauds.

Yes, it is also noticeable that many security certificates and firewalls do not protect our computers firmly and need an immense space on the hard drive. Some hardware based firewalls only read incoming information but not outgoing information so your network system will be affected sometimes. So overall if we see from business outlook Cyber Security plays a meaning role and for their customers.

Credit: http://techwirenews.com/cyber-security-a-necessary-or-unnecessary-prospect/

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Internet Marketing – An Advance Approach

Marketing frolics an essential role in business enterprise it is an archaic term. In former time marketing has limited concept for only production and selling preference. But as time moved on the scheme and construct of marketing is changed it is not just bound by production and selling but expands with the horizon of service, relationship between customers and business, branding, industrial marketing, social marketing, relationship management and business marketing. As its horizon expands its technique also varies from time to time now the up most concept in marketing is Internet Marketing. The concept of web marketing or Internet marketing is spreading heavily now a day. It is to tell in elementary phrase that it is a selling platform of product and service over the internet.

If you await at this concept deeply it is a cost saving effort for business individual it is like a branch office of your company. Secondly you don’t have to assign a sale person. Thirdly the information provide on web is like crystal clear one can judge your product and goodwill through internet. Fourthly people can shop anytime at their will. Fifthly solve their query with troubleshooting guide listed on your site. Sixthly write any product related message or query or suggestion in provided forum. The main reward that you are alive to the world anybody can take vantage of your product and service.

It also build network of social as business relations without cost and helps in business success. There are some proficiencies by which you can administer your product and services to the world like display advertise or banner on third party’s website, e-mail marketing, social media marketing via social sites like facebook, twitter, LinkedIn etc, referral marketing include promoting products through current customers, affiliate marketing, inbound marketing, search engine optimization which ameliorates the profile of a site.

Social media security is most important part of internet marketing. You can note that most usable social media like facebook and twitter now secure with SSL Certificates. You just login that networks and enable to HTTPS security that can build your social media account now a bit secure. Generally, you will desire to allow SSL on as lots of websites as you can for added security. Now you can see Google also allows this.

Companies can ambit to a wide community through internet marketing. Consumer can experience the details and purchase product easily. Many website have images and videos of products and service which also impacts on customer’s mind and draw them to buy their product. All internet market campaign can be traced and measured for product performance. The minus of internet marketing is solely that a personal touch to consumer is lacking. One to one meeting impacts more for merchandising a product but online marketing lacks this element. Secondly security over the net is ponder able aspect while entering confidential details like debit card number, addresses, phone numbers. It may be misused by some illegal identity. So online business must comply with a security seal for accessing customer’s information.

Besides this online marketing provides one to one access via internet while entering right keyword for right product so the proper attention is gained through online marketing. As seen from this prospect the futurity of Internet marketing is astonishing and the latter generation will surely take interest in online theory, may be more advance than this.

Credit: http://www.esoftload.info/internet-marketing-an-advance-approach

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SSL Implementation monitoring by SSL Pulse in July, 2012

SSL Pulse is an evaluation system that monitors SSL performance test conducted by SSL Lab. It reassures the health and parameters of website that running globally. It provides tools and documents according to health of website so the user may raise the security as well as the SSL accomplishment. SSL Pulse took a survey about 2million website. SSL Pulse is an online dashboard that analyzes the quality of SSL. The Trustworthy Internet Movement a nonprofit project had revealed its first project which called “SSL Pulse”. It was driven in Feb, 2012.

The survey determined that 50% sites were secure and well managed and the rest were needed to be improved. SSL Pulse is available for anybody to assure if the site has secure seal or not. The motto of SSL Pulse is to bring cognizance about the SSL functions. Using SSL Pulse you can check any website within a minute. SSL if not properly managed than it will give user a phony identity. The results come from the survey is listed following: 

• The survey discovers that nearly 72% well configured sites are found vulnerable.
• Only 12.9% sites were found secure under prescribed parameters.
• It also come across that a certificate chain was incomplete in 7.5% sites.
• There were 38.2% sites that are using lower cipher strength less than 128 bit.
• The Key used in SSL certificate was about less than 1024 bit.
• There is 31.2% site using SSL V2.0 which is unsafe.
• 11.8% of sites were utilizing renegotiating support which allows attacker to steal confidential data.
• There are 91.9% sites have not Extended Valuation Certificates (EV).
• 72.4% sites are found under BEAST attack.

There are 198,216 websites who owns valid SSL certificates, but only 99,903 websites, that deserves “A” grade. EV SSL Certificate is the complete security solution to avoid risk of BEAST attack.

The above anatomy points that SSL implementation is need to be detected by the programmer so Trustworthy Internet Movement has issued a guideline for implementation and governance of SSL which helps developers to implement and secure the website against the attacker. In current assumption there are numerous users who deal with online shopping and the only fidelity of user is SSL and if the survey outcomes with such results than it will be not untimely to tell you user that you and your monetary details are not safe. So for an E-commerce company desires to heighten its profit and bank of their customers than it should be absolved SSL Pulse assessment.

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9 Reason To Choose ClickSSL on SlideShare

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SSL Certificate and Web Hosting Promos Roundup - ClickSSL

Here at various promotions appealing to all kinds of hostingrelated needs, including cybercrime prevention, Wildcard SSL Certificates and aweb design contest. CoreLink Data Center is offering companies a free hour-longsecurity consultation to protect from cyber attacks, ClickSSL has launched aWildcard SSL certificate for $99/year, HostBaby is giving away three years freeweb hosting to the winner of its web design contest, Yahoo Web Hosting isoffering 50 percent off its small business hosting packages and Namesco isoffering 25 percent off web hosting.

CoreLink Data Centers Offers FreeSecurity Consultation, Free Managed Security Service

Colocation firm CoreLink Data Centers (www.corelink.com)has launched a managed security promotion, offering companies a free 60-minuteconsultation to evaluate IT infrastructure, ensuring it's protected againstattacks and unauthorized access. Valued at $250, the meeting will be held withan expert security engineer, and will include any managed security service freeto users for the first 30 days. A minimum 12-month hosting contract isrequired. The offer expires June 30.

ClickSSLOffers Wildcard SSL Certificate for $99/Year

SSL Certificate provider ClickSSL (www.clickssl.com)is offering a special promotion on its wildcard SSL certificate. With the promocode CLICK@198 a Wildcard SSL Certificate costs $99/year. The Wildcard SSLCertificate enables SSL encryption on multiple sub-domains using a singlecertificate. Wildcard SSL certificates areissued for (*.yourdomain.tld/*.*). Where * stands for anything and does notlimit the numbers. Wildcard SSL certificates are same as regular certificates and offer the high encryption and browser support.

HostBaby Web Design CompetitionEnds Sunday, Awards 3 Years Free Hosting

Web host HostBaby (www.hostbaby.com)is holding a web design contest to promote its new Site Builder. The contest isopen to musicians, authors and artists and prizes include three years free webhosting, CD manufacturing packages, custom stickers, posters and more. Thewinning sites will be selected by a group of web designers. The contest endsSunday, May 15 and the winners will be announced via its blog on Wednesday, May18.

Yahoo Web Hosting Offers Half OffSmall Business Packages

Web host Yahoo Web Hosting (smallbusiness.yahoo.com/webhosting)is offering 50 percent off its small business hosting packages. The plansinclude a free domain name and unlimited disk space, email storage and datatransfer.

Namesco Offers 25 Percent OffHosting Packages

UK web host and domain registrar Namesco (www.namesco.co.uk)is offering 25 percent off selected hosting packages for the month of May. Thecompany's hosting starts at $6.49 per month. Namesco offers a variety ofpackages, including a starter package for personal use, a professional packagesuitable for business hosting, a premium package for high traffic sites and aplatinum option for developers and reseller hosting.

Credit: Web Host Industry Review

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The recent survey says people are not very conscious on online frauds

Surveys are a great window into people’s minds, especially when they can illuminate contrasting, and even contradictory, behaviors in the same group. Results from the Symantec Online Internet Safety Survey have done just that. The most compelling finding – that respondents frequently proceed with online transactions they know might be insecure – inspired me to ask not just, “What are they thinking?” but “What are they thinking?!?”

The survey’s focus must be on many people’s minds, as we’ve had an extraordinary response – 301 people in just a few days! My initial impressions of the results are below. Feel free to share your comments and questions here.

Findings:

Risky behavior remains common despite respondents knowing better: What struck me the most was that in many cases, respondents continued online transactions even when those transactions lacked security cues respondents knew should be there. For example, 80 percent of respondents knew to look for the padlock icon signifying Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption, but only 55 percent said they would abort a transaction if they didn’t see it. Similarly, 81 percent knew to look for secure Internet connections (HTTPS) but only 56 percent got spooked by secure URLs not matching certificate domains (not an exact correlation, I know, but related). These are differences of nearly 30 points! What is driving this reckless behavior?
An equally notable figure is that 15 percent don’t use secure connections for social media activities even though they know improved security is available. Come on, people!

People know to bail out of online transactions they suspect aren’t secure: Exactly 3 out of 4 (75 percent) of respondents have abandoned online transactions because they felt the website wasn’t secure. This figure affirms respondents’ understanding of security cues and isn’t surprising given respondents’ high sensitivity to data loss. In fact, I’m wondering why the figure isn’t higher, closer to the high 90s like in Questions 1 and 2 (see below). Why would a quarter of respondents not cancel such transactions? Do they only go to websites they trust? And how do they know that trust is warranted without those security cues?

Many people are still learning about new browser security cues developed to counter evolving threats:

The majority (55%) of the respondents knew to look for a green address bar – the sign of a website having an Extended Validation Secure Sockets Layer (EV SSL) certificate. More than half of respondents (54 percent) knew a green address bar means a website is secure and only 1 percent said it didn’t make them feel safe. In contrast, nearly half (46 percent) either didn’t remember seeing the bar or didn’t feel either way about it. These figures indicate that popular understanding of the value of the green address bar is growing but this new security feature is still not top of mind for many users. Perhaps businesses can help educate their users about their use of the green bar, where applicable. If you need help with that, there are great resources available at the VeriSign Authentication Services.

Moreover, 42 percent knew to look for a third-party trust mark or seal. In fact, 1 in 3 (35 percent) respondents said lack of a seal worried them enough to end an online transaction. These figures may indicate most people don’t yet understand how seals represent an important security guarantee. Think about that for a moment. There is a potential for online businesses to be having a third of their businesses not transacting simply because the site lacks a recognizable trust mark to encourage users the site is safe.

At the same time, more than 4 out of 5 respondents knew to look for the padlock icon and/or the “s” in the HTTPS in the URL address of a website (80 percent and 81 percent, respectively) which is not too surprising as users have been conditioned over the years to look for these traditional cues. A vast majority of respondents know the value of secure connections (HTTPS) and how to use them – 77 percent set their social media security tools to use secure connections whenever browsing or logging in.

Nearly everyone has armed themselves with knowledge about security, but room for improvement still exists: Nearly all respondents (97 percent) considered themselves either somewhat or extremely knowledgeable about keeping their confidential data safe when shopping or banking online. The breakdown here was much more even, with 54 percent saying they were extremely knowledgeable and 43 percent somewhat knowledgeable.

Keeping confidential data safe when shopping or banking online is a universal concern: Ninety-eight percent of respondents were either somewhat or extremely concerned. What’s telling is that 82 percent were extremely concerned and only 17 percent somewhat concerned. That means more than 4 out of 5 respondents see protecting their data as a top priority.
This data ties into other findings that phishing attacks are widespread but not always recognized as a threat. More than 1 out of 7 respondents (16 percent) said they had been phished, highlighting how endemic cybercrime is today. Five percent of respondents, though, had no idea what phishing attacks are – a dangerous blind spot. Think you know what a phishing site looks like? Play our Phish or No Phish game to see if you can tell the difference.

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