Equifax Secure Announces Immediate Availability of Digital Certificates to Secure Web Servers For E-commerce
Equifax Secure eBusiness ID Begins Next Phase of Strategy; Innovative Solution, Partnership Bring Affordable, Compatible and Reliable Choice to Internet Security Market
ATLANTA, June 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax Secure, Inc., a unit of Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX - news), today announced the immediate availability of Equifax Secure eBusiness ID(TM), a digital certificate solution that enables enterprises to secure web servers used for web sites, intranets, extranets and virtual private networks. Starting today, Equifax Secure eBusiness IDs can be obtained at Equifax Secure's new web site at equifaxsecure.com .
Equifax Secure eBusiness IDs will confirm to visitors that they have reached the intended web site, encrypting and protecting exchanged data from interception or tampering, using secure sockets layer (SSL) technology. In addition, enterprises can gain considerable competitive advantage by combining eBusiness IDs with Equifax Secure's full range of security-infrastructure solutions that include next generation authentication technology and individual certificate management services. This will enable enterprises to authenticate identity, issue and manage individual certificates and secure web servers from one comprehensive and trusted source.
''Introducing eBusiness IDs provides web masters, web administrators and corporate e-commerce managers a more affordable, compatible and reliable choice to secure their web servers for e-commerce,'' said Jeff Johnson, general manager of Equifax Secure. ''Equifax Secure eBusiness IDs are a tremendous value that will empower enterprise customers to securely and quickly move their commerce applications to the web to grow their business.''
With the significant growth of web sites going online, eBusiness ID offers a viable alternative to secure web servers. Network Solutions, the leading domain name registration company, reports more than 3 million web addresses registered in its domain name system. According to a Netcraft SSL survey, more than 53,000 servers go online every month, or 1.2 per minute.
Benefits & Features
Equifax Secure eBusiness ID represents a new addition to Equifax Secure's suite of next-generation e-commerce solutions that enable enterprises to authenticate consumer identity, secure business applications and manage digital certificates and directories. Specifically, the eBusiness ID server certificate solution provides the following:
* Security with the online experience. Equifax Secure eBusiness IDs
protect enterprise servers and help expand the capability of businesses
through online commerce applications. eBusiness IDs provide a quick,
cost-effective security solution, giving enterprise customers the
confidence to send credit card numbers and/or other personal
information to a server over an open network such as the Internet.
* Compatibility with 95 percent of web browsers. Recognition by older
browser software is a major barrier to entry in the Internet
certificate marketplace. Beginning Jan. 1, 2000, a significant number
of server certificates in use today will not be compatible with
versions of Netscape browsers (below version 4.06). Equifax Secure's
previously announced strategic agreement with Thawte Certification
enables compatibility with current and older browsers. Compatability
is achieved through a unique trust chain from Equifax Secure eBusiness
IDs to the existing, embedded Thawte "root." Effectively, Equifax
Secure has gained a three-year competitive advantage over other new
certificate authorities.
* Due diligence in authenticating requesting companies. Equifax Secure
follows rigorous procedures to authenticate companies requesting
eBusiness IDs.
* Support for a range of servers. eBusiness ID supports all current
releases of commercial and freeware web servers supporting SSL.
Supported servers include Apache-Stronghold, Microsoft IIS, Netscape
Enterprise and Lotus Domino Go Web Server (versions 4.6.2.6 and
higher).
* Warranty protection for Equifax Secure customers. A $300,000 warranty
that assures users of eBusiness IDs that Equifax Secure will follow the
rigorous business authentication, certificate issuance and management
processes described in its public certificate practice statement.
* Industry-leading technology and facility support. An advanced
operations facility, public key infrastructure technology used with IBM
Vault Registry and Netscape Directory for Secure E-Commerce support
Equifax Secure eBusiness ID, authentication and digital certificate and
directory services.
''Entering the server certificate market begins the next phase of our strategy to bring security, privacy and trust to the Internet,'' Johnson said. ''Equifax Secure leverages Equifax's more than 100 years of unparalleled innovation in delivering large volumes of sensitive information over private networks to address security and privacy issues associated with e-commerce over public networks. Equifax Secure eBusiness ID is a natural extension of our product offering and provides an additional channel to build market share.''
Pricing, Availability
eBusiness ID is one of the most affordable server certificates currently available at only $225 per 12-month certificate with a competitive renewal rate of $199 upon expiration. Discounted volume pricing is also available based on a sliding scale.
Equifax Secure, Inc. (www.equifaxsecure.com ) provides next-generation e- commerce solutions that enable enterprises to authenticate consumer identity, secure business applications and manage digital certificates and directories for highly secure, private e-commerce over the Internet and other networks. Equifax Secure e-commerce solutions significantly reduce the risk, cost and complexity of assuring the privacy and security of electronic transactions and are available for companies across a wide range of industries.
Equifax (www.equifax.com ), a worldwide leader in shaping global commerce, brings buyers and sellers together through its information management, transaction processing and knowledge-based businesses. Atlanta-based Equifax serves the financial services, retail, credit card, telecommunications/utilities, transportation, information technology and healthcare industries and government. Equifax adds knowledge, expertise, convenience and security to provide value-added solutions and processes for its customers wherever they do business, including the Internet and other networks. Entering its second century in business, Equifax employs more than 13,000 associates in 18 countries with sales in almost 50 and has nearly $1.7 billion in revenue.
Statements in this press release that relate to Equifax's future plans, objectives, expectations, performance, events and the like are ''forward- looking statements'' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Future events, risks and uncertainties, individually or in the aggregate, could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Those factors could include changes in worldwide and U.S. economic conditions that materially impact consumer spending and consumer debt, changes in demand for the Company's products and services, risks associated with the integration of acquisitions and other investments, and other factors discussed in the ''Forward-looking Information'' section in the management's discussion and analysis included at Part II, Item 7 in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998, and in the ''Year 2000 Information'' section in the management's discussion and analysis included at Part I, item 2 in the Company's report on Form 10-Q for the first quarter of 1999.
SOURCE: Equifax Secure, Inc. |
