1. Authentication - A digital certificate is tied to a specific domain and a CA performs a number of checks to confirm the identity of the organization requesting the certificate prior to issuing it. In this way, the certificate may only be installed on the domain against which it has been authenticated, providing users with the assurance they need. Various levels of authentication are performed across various products.
2. Encryption- Encryption is the process of transforming information to make it unintelligible to all but the intended recipient. This forms the basis of data integrity and privacy necessary for e-commerce.

1. Securing Browser to Web Server Communication - Securing of browser to web server communication is currently the major application and is most frequently applied to e-commerce websites to secure transfer of payment information. The type of data that is considered sensitive is currently expanding from financial data to include all personally identifiable information including identity and social security numbers, and increasingly e-mail addresses.
2. Securing Server to Server Communication - More and more companies are turning to SSL certificates to secure server to server communications. This is an area of application which provides companies with various options for improving data security and network privacy. At present, securing communication between e-mail servers is the most common application although it is also possible to secure ftp sites, database and application servers amongst others.

Information is a critical asset to your business. To ensure the integrity and safety of your information, it is important to identify with whom you are dealing, and the data you are receiving is trustworthy. Authentication can help establish trust between parties involved in all types of transactions by addressing a unique set of security issues including:

Spoofing - The low cost of website design and the ease with which existing pages can be copied makes it all too easy to create illegitimate websites that appear to be published by established organizations. In fact, con artists have illegally obtained credit card numbers by setting up professional looking storefronts that mimic legitimate businesses.

Unauthorized Action - A competitor or disgruntled customer can alter your website so that it malfunctions or refuses to service potential clients.

Unauthorized Disclosure - When transaction information is transmitted "in the clear", hackers can intercept the transmissions to obtain sensitive information from your customers.

Data Alteration - The content of a transaction can be intercepted and altered en route, either maliciously or accidentally. User names, credit card numbers and currency amounts sent "in the clear" are all vulnerable to alteration.