Why SSL is essential for peace of mind

We make it our mission to provide you with a positive customer experience and we want you to be confident that you can order from us safely and securely. With this in mind we've secured our online payment area so that your valuable data is protected from prying eyes.

In order to achieve this we went to Comodo to obtain an SSL Certificate. Comodo are the second largest Certification Authority in the world and are Web Trust compliant, meaning that their business practices and processes have been rigorously audited to AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) guidelines by an independent approved auditor (KPMG).

To qualify to receive our SSL Certificate from Comodo we had to validate ourselves with them, in order to satisfy them that we are a legitimate business. We had to prove not only that we own this web domain, but also that we are a legally accountable company. We believe that only by seeking this level of validation can you have peace of mind when buying online.

You can even prove validity of SSL Certificates for yourself by downloading the free Verification Engine from Comodo. This software allows you to verify the authenticity of an SSL Certificate outside of your web browser, where no fake or fraudulent website can affect the result.

What is SSL?

Secure Sockets Layer, SSL, is the standard security technology for creating an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between our web server and your browser remains private and secure. SSL is an industry standard and is used by millions of websites in the protection of their online transactions with their customers. In order to be able to generate an SSL link (signified by the gold padlock in the information tool bar), a web server requires an SSL Certificate.

Why is SSL important?

Since the SSL protocol was released by Netscape as a security technology in 1996 we have all been educated to look for the SSL padlock before passing any critical details over the Internet. Technically, the SSL protocol provides an encrypted link between two parties, however to you the consumer, seeing the SSL padlock in your browser means much more:

• That you have a secure (encrypted) link with this website
• That this website is a valid and legitimate organization or an accountable legal entity

As well as ensuring that your details remain secure during a transaction, we know that you also care whether the website you are dealing with is legitimate. In order to solve the critical issue of identity assurance as well as information security on the Internet, the efforts of SSL Providers (Certification Authorities), consumer magazines and industry bodies have rightly resulted in the SSL padlock becoming synonymous with trust and integrity.