Are E-Commerce Platforms Secured?

Many League City web design companies create e-commerce platforms for the growing companies that wish to bring their businesses online. If you are a bit hesitant about this move, you may still be wondering whether e-commerce platforms or safe or not.

With the creation of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, e-commerce can now be considered a safe way to complete transactions. SSL is a protocol developed by Netscape for transmitting private documents via the Internet. SSL works by using a private key to encrypt data that is transferred over the SSL connection. Modern web browsers now support SSL, and many websites use this protocol to obtain confidential user information, such as credit card numbers. This technology secures your website by encrypting information and providing authentication.

Encryption turns all of your information into a unique code before it travels through the Internet. Every time you login to a SSL protected web site, your computer talks with its web servers and agrees on a key to decipher the code. All of your confidential information – your password, your financial data, and any transactions you conduct while you are online – is essentially 'locked' and without that key, cannot be deciphered by anyone.

By convention, URLs that require an SSL connection start with https: instead of http:. In most browsers, you will also see a small yellow lock icon appear on the bottom right of your screen to assure you that the page you're looking at has been received via a secure server.

Another element to look for before transacting with a retailer online is its security or privacy policy that clearly indicates that your confidential information will be encrypted on all servers connected to the Net and that security tools are in place to protect applications like the shopping cart. Avoid transacting with sites that don’t provide clear privacy and security policies or contact information, including a physical street address and working phone number.

Aside from the website you transact with, keep in mind that many e-commerce sites contract with other firms to process credit card information, and those third-party sites may be vulnerable to attack, too. For this reason, consider the pros and cons of shopping online and remember to do you research before transacting with an e-commerce website. For more tips from League City web design experts, visit http://www.texaswebmaster.com/league_city_web_design.php.