SECURE SOCKET LAYER "SSL" Certificate Overview:

A SUMMARY OF OUR ON-LINE SECURITY

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption technology allows you to sign in securely to GLA and have all your transactions protected by powerful and Private Communication Technology (PCT) security standards supported by Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.+ and 4.+ and other popular browsers.

SSL encrypts your credit card number, name, address, and phone number before they travel over the Internet. This makes doing business over the Internet as secure as purchasing by telephone or using your credit card at the gas station.

SSL safe connection and secure transaction technology has effectively protected GLA customers who have transmitted their credit card numbers online and made a purchase since our credit card launch date.

Why use server certificates?  What does a web server SSL certificate do?

When you connect to a secure web server such as https://www.genelevine.com you ask that server to authenticate itself. This authentication is quite a complex process involving public keys, private keys and a digital certificate. The Thawte Certificate Icon tells you that an independent third party has agreed that the server belongs to the company it claims to belong to. A valid certificate means that you can have confidence that you are sending information to the right place and you'll know your doing business at a secure site when you see either an unbroken or a closed lock icon in your status bar.

Also, whenever your credit card information is requested or displayed, you'll notice that the Internet URL address begins with "https." The "s" in the address means that our secure server has queried your computer's Web browser software and asked it to encrypt all information before transmitting it. This encryption is performed using an industry-standard security protocol known as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). SSL is a feature included in most modern Internet browsers, including Netscape, Internet Explorer, Compuserve 3.0 or higher and AOL 2.0 or higher. Information encrypted with SSL is nearly impossible for unauthorized parties to decode. All major Internet stores use this technology, and it has been approved by VISA, Mastercard and American Express.

What's this "Secure Web Site" all about?

Web browsers can operate in "normal" mode and in "secure" mode.   You can tell which mode your browser is in by looking at the toolbar at the bottom of the browser window and at the URL window for the following identifiers of secure and unsecure modes.. 

Browser	Symbol Location	Normal (Insecure) mode Symbol	Secure Mode Symbol
All Browsers	URL Window	http:	https: ("s" for secure)
Netscape 1.2, 2.0 and 3.0	Lower left	Broken Key	Complete Key
Netscape Communicator (4.0)	Lower left	Open Lock	Closed Lock
Microsoft Internet Explorer	Lower Right	NONE	Closed Lock

When you surf the net in "normal" or insecure mode all of the information you type into your browser and all the information the web site sends to you are visible to eavesdroppers.  When your browser is in "secure" mode it encrypts all the information between itself and the server.  Encrypted information looks like meaningless garbage to eavesdroppers, so your personal information is secure.

What is a Digital Certificate?

A digital certificate contains the name of a company, web site or individual, along with a cryptographic key that can be used to encrypt information that must be sent to that individual.  When your browser switches into secure mode,it asks the web site to present its certificate.  The browser decides whether or not it trusts the certificate by looking at who issued it.  If the browser trusts the certificate as it does those issued by Thawte, then it will encrypt all communications with that web site using the cryptographic key in the certificate.

Your credit card information is safe when you buy from us.