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About SSL

Enhancement of data transfer safety level and the growth of the SSL technology is due to the increasing number of online transactions.

Daily used, the SSL protocole is totally transparent and works without any manipulation from the webuser.

What is it ? How does it work ?

  • What's SSL ?
  • What's a digital certificate ?
    • The server certificate
    • The user certificate

What's SSL ?

Developed by Netscape, the SSL (Secure Socket Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security), is a protocole used to secure online transactions.

It has several missions:

  • Authentify the server
  • Guarantee the confidentiality of exchanged datas
  • Assure those datas integrity
  • Optionaly identify a client through its digital certificate

How does it work?

The SSL protocole creates a communication channel between a client and a server independently from the protocole, it secures online transactions (HTTP protocole) as well as FTP, IMAP or POP protocoles connexions.

That communication channel is an opaque tunnel that prevents anybody to see the content of the transaction.

In a schematic way:

No SSL cert - non-secured data transfer

Non-secured tranfer, no SSL certificate: A see-through communication tunnel, information can be seen by anybody.

SSL cert : secured data transfer

SSL-secured transfer:
opaque communication tunnel.
Data cannot be seen.

It can be compared to the mechanism of a lock (public key) and its key (private key):

The privet key is saved on the server.
The public key, known by anybody encrypts sending datas, that are decoded on the server by the privet key.

What's a digital certificate ?

A SSL certificate is a digital ID whose goal is to identify the owner of a server, a website or an Email address.

It is issued by a trusted third part called a certification authority,such as Thawte,that testifies the certificate's owner identity.

The server certificate

To make the SSL security work (for online transactions for example) a server certificate is required.

A server certificate carries:

  • The name of the privet key owner
  • The name of the certification authority that has issued the certificate
  • The certificate validity period
  • A serial number...

What does the webuser see

When surfing, a webuser can see information about websites on the address bar.

On Firefox 3 :

Firefox 3 discerns 5 kinds of websites according to the information they deliver. Each kind owns its proper warning alert:

On other browsers

Safety lock display

Particular case : The multiples-sites server certificate

The multiples sites certificates from the TBS range of products allow, with a unique certificate (so technically with a unique IP address) to secure several websites (up to 1000). Those certificates are made for 2 kind of companies:

  • Hosting companies / ISPs that want to provide a quality SSL service on mutualized hosting
  • Companies owning several domain names or websites pointing on the same service

For the specifical needs of Microsoft Exchange 2007 or Office Communication Server 2007, prefer the Comodo UCC (Unified Communications Certificate).

Advantages for companies

  • Combine all your secured sites on one IP address on a unique server/cluster
  • Avoid browsers alerts when webusers write https://mydomain.com instead of https://www.mydomain.com

Advantages for hosting companies

  • Provide a SSL service to your customers hosted on a mutualized server
  • No more alert from non-matching names, perfectly fonctional SSL
  • Increase your sales figures on hosting server
  • Standardize SSL on your hosting offer
  • Save your IP addresses

The user certificate

A user certificate, also known as user certificate or Email certificate, can be used to secure Emails (signature, cypherment) and for beeing authentified when accessing a server.

Important : Using a user certificate requires an autonom Email software (ex: Outlook, Thunderbird) not a simple webmail.

TBS X509 issues a large range of user certificates to fulfill different needs:

  • Initiation to Email securised : X509 Email Novice TBS
  • Secure an email for your personnal needs : X509 Email Particulier TBS
  • Secure an email for professionnal needs : X509 Email Professionnel TBS
  • Access a website with strong authentication : X509 Email Professionnel TBS
  • Allocate authentication certificates for your extranet : X509 Professionnel TBS
  • Allocate email certificates to some employees : X509 Email Professionnel TBS
  • Allocate email certificates to a few dozen of employees : X509 Utilisateur TBS with TBS PKI PME

A user certificate works, like a server certificate, with private and public keys. But for a user certificate, the CSR can be generated by your browsers when filling a certificate order form. The creation of the CSR is automatic and totally invisible.

Which browser to use with your Email software ?

  • For Outlook 2000+ or Outlook Express 5+, use Internet Explorer (Windows).
  • For Mail Mac OS X 10.3+ or Entourage, use Safari.
  • For Thunderbird, use Firefox.
  • For Netscape 4.77+, Mozilla or SeaMonkey, use the same software
Sales department:
+44 330 684 0000
marianne.bonjour@tbs-internet.co.uk

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TBS INTERNET
marianne.bonjour@tbs-internet.co.uk
Tél : +44 330 684 0000