SGC: True 128-Bit SSL Encryption

Server-Gated Cryptography (SGC) Certificates enable 128- or 256-bit SSL encryption (depending on the Web browser, operating system, and host server), the most powerful SSL encryption commercially available today.

When an SSL handshake occurs between a client and server, a level of encryption is determined by the Web browser, the client computer operating system and the SSL Certificate. Strong encryption, at 128 bits, can calculate 2 ⁸⁸ times as many combinations as 40-bit encryption. That’s over a trillion times a trillion times stronger. At current computing speeds, a hacker with the time, tools and motivation to attack using brute force would require a trillion years to break into a session protected by an SGC-enabled certificate.

The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) enables 256-bit encryption, much stronger than 128-bit. If your server and your site visitor’s browser support 256-bit encryption, then all VeriSign SSL Certificates will deliver this higher level of protection.

Even though an SSL Certificate is capable of 128-bit or 256-bit encryption, certain older browsers and operating systems still cannot connect at this level. (Building Blocks of Transparent Web Security: Server-Gated Cryptography, Yankee Group, 2005.) Without an SGC certificate on the Web server, Web browsers and operating systems that do not support 128-bit strong encryption will receive only 40- or 56-bit encryption. Users with the following browser versions and operating systems will temporarily step up to 128-bit SSL encryption if they visit a Web site with an SGC-enabled SSL Certificate:

• Internet Explorer export browser versions from 3.02 but before version 5.5
• Netscape export browser versions after 4.02 and up through 4.72
• Windows 2000 systems shipped prior to March 2001 that have not downloaded Microsoft’s High Encryption Pack or Service Pack 2 and that use Internet Explorer

(Internet Explorer browser versions prior to 3.02 and Netscape browser versions prior to 4.02 are not capable of 128-bit encryption with any SSL Certificate.)

Because Web site visitors cannot easily determine the encryption strength of a given session, they depend on the site owner to protect them. True 128-bit SSL Certificates enable every site visitor to experience the strongest SSL encryption available to them. VeriSign is the leading SSL provider of SGC-enabled SSL Certificates, enabling 128- or 256-bit encryption to over 99.9 per cent of Web site visitors.