In 2005, the longstanding Internet browser trust model, which had served as a foundation for many billions of dollars of e-commerce, was starting to show signs of age. Just like an older building, the model was in need of renovation and repair to its foundation in order to ensure it could continue to support future e-commerce initiatives.

Based on Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), certificates and the ubiquitous padlock icon, the browser trust model was reworked to help revew consumer confidence and to better suit handling e-commerce transaction volumes as they continued to increase. This white paper details the new model and the impact it has on consumers and Web site operators.