Web Site Security

Thwarte vs. Verisign

[Eljaybe]

I am putting together a web site that has an online form for visitors to submit. The form may contain some personal information, but does NOT ask for credit card numbers and social security number. I am thinking maybe a 40-bit encryption would be ok and it costs less than a 128-bit.

Does anyone know why Verisign charges $895/year and Thawte charges only $125/year (and Verisign owns Thawte)? I understand Verisign has some Protection services that maybe Thawte doesn't offer, but is it really better to use the Verisign Seal rather than a Thawte seal?

Or, am I missing out on another good SSL company?

Thanks.

[universalis]

I would avoid anything other than 128 bit encryption, as many browsers will display a warning about weak security and an end-user, who won't understand the technicalities of encryption, will be put off.

Also, avoid Verisign because, as you have noticed, their prices are simply outrageous. IMHO, buying a 128 bit certificate from Thawte is by far the best bet. They have an excellent reputaion (let's face it, reputation is very important is this field) and reasonable prices. There are other companies cheaper than Thawte, but they are much less well-known.

[Eljaybe]

Thanks for the advice, universalis.
I'll probably go with Thawte.

[Foehammer]

The two main reasons why Verisign charges so much are #1 industry and consumer name recognition. They are the Nike, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft of SSL site certificates. #2 is due to the amount of insurance they provide to pay out if the certifcate they have issued should be cracked and your data is compromised.

[Eljaybe]

Yes, that is a good point Foehammer.
Since there will be no banking transactions nor credit card numbers exchanged on my site, I think Thawte's services should be fine.
Do you have a problem with Thawte or just like Verisign better?

[dotbiz]

Eljaybe

I checked the certificate price at thawte.com and it's $199/year. Where do you get the price of $125?

I also plan to get a thawte cert. Just wondering where/how I can get it cheaper. Maybe join their affiliate program?

Thanks.

[Eljaybe]

Dotbiz:

I may have had $125 from last year's prices. I found out Thawte raised their prices this year.

Sorry for the mix up.

[zipster]

I got my certificate at instantssl.com for $49 a yr.(they have different levels).

[Eljaybe]

"I got my certificate at instantssl.com for $49 a yr.(they have different levels)."

--How does this service compare to Thwate & Verisign?

[HyperGeek]

How does this service compare to Thwate & Verisign?

I'm equally as interested in knowing this.

Who knows, even though they came out of nowhere, they may become the GoDaddy of cert providers. I just wished they conformed their verification format to something like Thawte/Verisign's - the little certificate, although neato, is also a bit cheesy. ;)

[bcc1234]

I got a cert from instantssl. They use an authority chain so the compatibility is not really an issue.
Try accessing my site and let me know if you see any warnings.
I would also like to know if my cert is any good :)

[HyperGeek]

I checked it. No difference in my opinion.

Might be a great option for little to no income web sites that want a cert for user registration and such.