PerformanceLifts.com uses the strongest level of SSL encryption allowed by law!

What does SSL mean to me, the average Internet user?

When you come across a web page that is secured, your browser will likely display a 'closed lock' or other symbol to inform you that SSL has been enabled.  The web site address should also now start with "https://" rather than the usual "http://". If you look at the PerformanceLifts.com ordering and checkout pages you will see the "https://" address at all times.

In a nutshell, SSL allows a secure connection between your web browser and the PerformanceLifts.com web server. Many people seem to be hesitant to shop online because they believe it to be less safe. However, the protection offered by SSL means that your credit card number will be seen by far fewer people than if you use it at a physical store or restaurant. When you make a purchase at a physical store, there is a trail of paper left behind, containing your number in its entirety. Once your order is electronically received by PerformanceLifts.com all of your credit card information remains encrypted until the order is processed off-line. This means more security and makes it almost impossible for a hacker to get your personal information. By processing all orders off the internet PerformanceLifts.com offers one of the most secure order processing services available! Once the order is initially processed the information is once again re-encrypted preventing all unauthorized users from EVER viewing your information!

SSL Defined: Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a protocol designed to enable secure communications on an insecure network such as the Internet. SSL provides encryption and integrity of communications along with strong authentication using digital certificates.

So who uses SSL today?

Most web-based online purchases and monetary transactions are now secured by using SSL. When you submit your credit card to purchase an item from PerformanceLifts.com, for example, the order form information is sent through this secure tunnel so that only PerformanceLifts.com can view it. This keeps your data safe and secure from hackers and encourages them to go after easier targets. Lots of internet companies say they have a secure site, but PerformanceLifts.com proves it.

You may also be familiar with online banking.  Financial institutions like Bank of America and Wells Fargo use SSL to secure the transmission of your PIN number and other confidential account data. The same security measures are used by PerformanceLifts.com and this makes shopping online with us as safe as using your credit card or ATM card in your neighborhood grocery store.

What are web server SSL certificates?

Web server certificates has become the generic standard for organizations to deliver online trust. Web server certificates are used to authenticate the identity of a website to visiting browsers. When a user wants to send confidential information to a web server, the browser will access the server’s digital certificate. The certificate, which contains the web server’s public key will be used by the browser to: authenticate the identity of the web server (the website) and encrypt information for the server using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology. Since the web server is the only entity with access to its private key, only the server can decrypt the information. This is how the information remains confidential and tamper-proof while in transit across the Internet. PerformanceLifts.com takes this one step further and encrypts all data that is stored on the server to prevent access to your date once it is collected. To successfully crack the GPG 128-bit encryption technique used by PerformanceLifts.com it would require a (so far) non-existent computer that can guess 1 trillion keys a second on average around 2 million million million (2 followed by 18 zeroes) years to guess the key. That's secure!

So what exactly does 128-bit encryption mean to me?

Many banks require 128-bit encryption for online banking because 40-bit encryption is considered to be relatively weak.  128-bits is about 309 septillion times ( 309,485,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) larger than 40-bits. PerformanceLifts.com agrees, the more secure the better. That's why PerformanceLifts.com invested in the heavy duty security features that most customers don't even know are in place. Equated to the real world, sending information without encryption is like sending a postcard through the mail - the contents are visible to practically anyone who wants to see it.  Using this analogy, 40-bit encryption is like sending the information in an plain white envelope. 56-bits could then be equated to using a security envelope that is printed to prevent it from being see-through. Relative to these strengths, 128-bit encryption could be compared to encasing your data in a lead-lined, 12-inch thick titanium safe that is being transported by an armored tank with a convoy of a hundred armed guards.  In other words, 128-bits is considerably more secure than 40.

So how can I tell if my web browser has 128-bit encryption?

Most newer browsers now support a variety of SSL bit strengths. This ensures that the browsers are fully compatible with most all web servers and digital certificates, which were also shipped worldwide at lower encryption strengths.

If you have an older browser you downloaded without filling out a brief residency confirmation form, you most likely have the 40 or 56-bit version. If that is the case PerformanceLifts.com strongly urges you to UPDATE YOUR BROWSER! Check your browser's encryption preferences to see what strengths you have available. You can also try http://verisign.netscape.com/advisor/check.html for a readout of what strengths your browser supports. PerformanceLifts.com strongly suggests upgrading to the newest available browser version to ensure the strongest level of security.

If SSL is so cool, why isn't it "engaged" on a web site all the time?

Because all information going back and fourth between the client and server is being put through an encryption process instead of being sent plain, the server and browser take longer to process this data.  The speed difference may not be noticeable on a single page, but if all of a website's pages were encrypted, the server's performance could be significantly reduced.

If you have any other questions about SSL, or security in general, feel free to drop a note to info@performancelifts.com, and we'll see what we can do to get it answered.