VERISIGN INTRODUCES FREE SERVER DIGITAL CERTIFICATES TO FACILITATE Y2K TESTING
Y2K Secure Server IDs Enable Integration of Web Servers with Enterprise Compliance Efforts
Mountain View, CA – NOVEMBER 16, 1998 – VeriSign Inc., the world's leading provider of public key infrastructure (PKI) solutions and Internet security services, today announced the introduction of free specially-configured digital certificates designed to facilitate Year 2000 (Y2K) testing initiatives by enterprises worldwide. The VeriSign Y2K Secure Server ID is designed to help enterprise customers integrate their Web servers into an overall Y2K testing plan to ensure end-to-end compliance for network applications. These trial digital certificates provide proof of identity, broad support for standard off-the-shelf applications, and leverage VeriSign 's extensive infrastructure to ensure a robust PKI solution that is Y2K compliant. VeriSign is the only PKI provider to offer enterprise customers trial Y2K certificates as an essential component of an overall enterprise security solution.
"VeriSign should be commended for raising awareness among enterprise users to include PKI in their Y2K test plans and for supporting them with a source for free certificates for Y2K testing," said Phil Schacter, Senior Analyst at The Burton Group.
VeriSign Secure Server IDs enable enterprises to conduct online business securely, with authentication, message privacy, and message integrity. VeriSign's Y2K Trial Server IDs enable Y2K compliance by allowing IT managers to test the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) features of their organization's Web server or browser for Year 2000 compliance, to develop a certificate-based application that will be used after the Year 2000, and to demonstrate Y2K compliance for an enterprise's internal systems. For example, applications must properly interpret dates within the certificate to eliminate all Year 2000 risks associated with certificate use. VeriSign has undertaken a comprehensive review and established an action plan assuring that its comprehensive ranges of products and services remain undisrupted or otherwise unaffected by such problems. VeriSign's certificates are compliant with international standards that address the Year 2000 problem.
"As enterprises tackle the complexity of the Y2K challenge and other business process reengineering issues, they must continue to ensure that all of their applications—across intranets, extranets, virtual private networks, and the Internet—are included in these efforts," said Richard Yanowitch, vice president of marketing for VeriSign. "We are pleased to offer our enterprise customers free Y2K test certificates to complete their testing efforts across a broad range of network applications."
The Year 2000 Issue
The Year 2000 problem, also known as the Millennium Bug or Y2K, refers to the inability of many computer systems to accurately process date and time data from, into, and between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Most computer systems represent dates in the format MMDDYY, where 12/31/99 represents December 31, 1999. The century is not represented in the date and the computer assumes that 12/31/99 refers to a date in the twentieth century. Most computer programs that perform arithmetic and logic operations on these date fields use only the last two digits of the year when they make their calculations. As long as all the dates in question are in the same century this works fine. However, the Year 2000 problem comes into effect when the century changes. As companies move to 21st century applications, such as the use of the Internet for e-commerce, banking and supply chain management, they will need to ensure that these efforts are not held back by issues from legacy applications, many of which were built in the 1960s and 1970s.
VeriSign Y2K Trial Server IDs
To help test various Y2K scenarios, enterprise customers may choose certificates from a variety of date ranges. The validity period of the certificates is set for fourteen days, but customers may use the certificates for as long as they wish to ensure accurate testing. Enterprises may also order as many VeriSign Y2K Trial IDs as they need, with no restrictions.
Trial VeriSign Y2K Server IDs work with all major Web Server Software packages including Netscape Enterprise Server, Microsoft IIS, C2 Net Stronghold, and Apache Servers based on SSLeay. Y2K Trial IDs are compatible with 98% of the installed base of browsers deployed across the Internet. To obtain a free Trial Y2K Server ID, visit the VeriSign web site at digitalid.verisign.com
VeriSign, Inc.
VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSN) is the leading provider of PKI solutions and related security services to enable secure communications and transactions over today's advanced networks, including intranets, extranets, VPNs and the Internet. VeriSign's OnSite 4.0 PKI solution is available through VeriSign regional account representatives, resellers, and global affiliates. The company's Digital IDs and Secure Server IDs are available through the company's Web site. For more information please visit verisign.com.
###
All rights reserved. VeriSign is a registered trademark exclusively licensed to VeriSign, Inc. OnSite is a service mark of VeriSign, Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
Contact:
Kelly Ryan, VeriSign, Inc., Tel: (650) 961-7500, Fax: (650) 961-7300, Email: kelly.ryan@verisign.com
|
