SSL Transport Layer Security

TLS (Transport Layer Security)
TLS stands for Transport Layer Security, a newer version of SSL. Transport Layer Security is an enhancement of SSL version 3.0, and a proposed Internet Standard (see RFC2246).

Thawte
A South African company which acts as a certificate authority. In 1999 Thawte was acquired by Verisign.

Triple DES
Encrypted three times, DES uses at least two different keys. Sometimes two or three keys are used, depending on the steps in the decryption mode. In SSL, three separate keys are used, and the middle step is a decryption.

Unified Communication Certificates (UC Certificate)
Unified Communication Certificates are a new kind of certificate, that uses Transport Layer Security and SSL Secure Sockets Layer to encrypt data between multiple unique hosts. These new TLS/SSL Certificates provide secure encrypted communications for Microsoft's Unified Communications products.

Verisign
Verisign has been the dominant SSL Certificate Authority on the internet for a long time. In the early years of the Internet, RSA Data Security was the only trusted certificate authority, so businesses needing SSL digital certificates had practically no choice but to purchase them from Verisign, and use secure server software from Verisign.

Fortunately for consumers, current versions of Microsoft and Netscape browsers have the option to add new certificate authorities, creating new opportunities for revolutionary companies like DigiCert, Inc. to compete with much better pricing.

WebTrust
The Webtrust Program offers third-party authentication to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the controls employed by Certification Authorities (CAs).