What is the difference between a VeriSign 40-bit SSL Certificate and a 128-bit Global Server ID?
The primary difference between the two types of VeriSign SSL Certificates is the strength of the SSL session that each enable. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology is the industry-standard method for protecting Web communications developed by Netscape Communications Corporation. The SSL security protocol provides data encryption, server authentication, message integrity, and optional client authentication for a TCP/IP connection. Because SSL is built into all major browsers and Web servers, simply installing a digital certificate turns on their SSL capabilities. SSL comes in two strengths, 40-bit and 128-bit, which refer to the length of the “session key” generated by every encrypted transaction. The longer the key, the more difficult it is to break the encryption code. Most browsers support 40-bit SSL sessions, and the latest browsers enable users to encrypt transactions in 128-bit sessions – trillions of times stronger than 40-bit sessions. 128-bit Global Server IDs enable 128-bit S
Related Questions
- After I have installed my new Verisign Global ID server certificate, the browsers complain that they cannot verify the server certificate?
- Can I use the Server Gated Cryptography (SGC) facility (aka Verisign Global ID) also with mod_ssl?
- Why do browsers complain that they cannot verify my Verisign Global ID server certificate?
