(Last updated on: March 25, 2014)
Your patrons can enjoy the ease and convenience of buying tickets through Webtix, but how do they know their credit card information is safe on your Webtix site – or any website for that matter?
The key is an SSL certificate.
An SSL Certificate (Secure Sockets Layer) creates a secure link between a website and a visitor’s browser. By ensuring that all data passed between the two remains private and secure, SSL encryption prevents hackers from stealing private information such as credit card numbers, names and addresses. Center Stage Software vigorously maintains an SSL certificate for all our products.
Here is a simple way to tell if a website has an SSL Certificate: The website address will begin with “HTTPS” NOT “HTTP” and will have an icon of a lock to the left of the address. Use your mouse and left click on the lock. You will see a window that states whose site you are on and which Certificate Authority (CA) verified the company’s identity. This information tells you the site is secure and your credit card information will be encrypted.
It’s not unheard of for scammers to create websites that trick people into thinking they are on a legitimate website. However, they won’t have the lock icon to prove they are authentic.
As part of the process of issuing an SSL Certificate, a Certificate Authority authenticates the company’s identity. It verifies the purchaser’s credentials using WHOIS database information, Dun & Bradstreet data, articles of incorporation, government-issued photo IDs and/or other credible sources. This comprehensive approach to identity validation ensures that an SSL Certificate is a reliable symbol of a company’s trustworthiness. An SSL certificate shows customers that the business is legitimate and that it’s safe to conduct business with them online.
That said, hackers are always coming up with new ways to exploit weaknesses and no computer that accesses the internet is ever 100% secure. In fact, wireless connections, which are now widespread, add an extra layer of security concerns, and many of your patrons (and you, yourself) are probably using them. Here are some tips on how to increase WIFI security.