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SSL and SET are the technology used to make cyber shopping transac-
tions secure. For the cyber shopping experience, it is recommended to use a
secure server. A secured server will use Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technol-
ogy to provide a safe way to transmit sensitive information, such as credit card
numbers, online banking, e-mail messages, surveys and other personal infor-
mation. Only authorized people or organizations can access consumers’ data
once the transactions are carried over the secure channel. It has been reported
by some experts that if consumers use Secure
Sockets Layer for online
transactions, it would take $100,000 worth of computer equipment
100,000,000,000,000,000,000 years (10 to the 19 power of years), when a
128-bit key is used to decrypt the transaction information. Even when only an
80-bit key were used, it is estimated that it would take $100,000 worth of
computer equipment 70,000 years to break the code used to encrypt credit
card data.
Most up-to-date Web browsers have a small picture of a key or padlock
indicating an SSL port. On a secure site, the key or padlock is usually located
in the lower left corner of the browser. Secure sites are always listed as https:/
/ at the beginning of the address of the Web page, instead of the more common,
insecure http://.
Using a secure channel would help to make sure that the
information stays private.
Future Trends: The Clipper Chip
To make sure that every piece of information which goes out of consumers’
computers or networks is secure, it would be desirable to implement encryption
standards right at machine level. The clipper chip is an encryption device that could
be used at every computer to provide a means to scramble communications. It is
envisaged that in the near future all computers, hand-held devices such as personal
digital assistants and even telephone sets would have clipper chips embedded in
them to provide a secure communication channel. Any data sent by computers or
any home call made by a telephone with a clipper chip, will go encrypted and the
device on the other side having a similar clipper chip would decrypt the message.