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About Security and SSL
The Security Seal
Most e-commerce enabled websites display an SSL security seal. Here's ours on the right, and it appears on all MoonFlower.ca web pages. We paid for it, we're proud of it, and we're very pleased to offer it.
But what does it really mean for you, the consumer? That's what we hope to explain here.
Another issue is that anyone can get these seals for free just by copying them off another website. You can even make up your own. Some seals display a fancy certificate when you click on them, but this can be faked too. Further down, we'll tell you how to check for the real thing.
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What SSL Actually Does
SSL stands for "Secure Sockets Layer", which is not at all helpful to normal people. What's important is what it does. All communications on the Internet can in fact be intercepted, and what SSL does is to encrypt data transfers. Your communication can still be intercepted, but if it's encrypted, it can't be read without being deciphered.
Secondly, and just as important, SSL authenticates the identity of the website you're visiting. An SSL certificate is issued to one particular website or URL. It won't work unless you're really on that specific website.
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But Not All Pages
It's the convention to say that SSL creates a "secure website". In reality, SSL security is applied a page at a time, so that it's really "secure web pages". But not necessarily all pages.
SSL can slow things down noticeably, because it takes time to do all that authenticating, encrypting and decrypting. But many pages on a website don't involve personal data. So it's typical that most pages are not SSL secured, so that they load faster. SSL is applied on selected pages where it counts, where personal data is involved.
On MoonFlower.ca, our product and general info pages are not encrypted so that they load faster. That somebody clicks on '"Roses" or "MoonFlower Exclusives" isn't a security issue. But once you find something you like, want to buy it, and are ready to fill out the order form, then SSL does kick in.
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Hello? Is This Thing On?
SSL has to be purposely enabled on a web page. As a visitor to that website, it also means that you have to check if SSL is active when you're about to type in personal information. Like a burglar alarm, SSL has to be turned on or it won't do any good! There are two things to look for.
Most URLs start with "http:", as shown in the address or location box at the top of your browser. On a secure page however, it will say "https:". That little extra "s" is what does it. In fact, https literally stands for "Hypertext Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer".
The second thing to look for is a little "golden padlock" icon. Your browser will show this for https pages only, and it should be in the locked position for a secure page. If it has a red stripe through it, then it's not secure. If it has an exclamation mark on it, then some items on the page are not secure. You can click on the padlock to get the story.
The current version of Internet Explorer puts the padlock at the top of the page and to the right of the address bar, while Firefox has it in the grey status bar at the bottom of the page and to the right. You may also see color changes, like a blue background. Other browsers or versions may do it differently. Consistency would be nice, but you can't have everything.
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A Bit On The Age Of The Universe
SSL also comes in "sizes", usually either 128-bit or 256-bit. This refers to the length of the encryption key, and the longer the key, the harder it is break the code.
The length of the key is calculated as 2 raised to the number of bits. With 128-bit SSL, this is 2128 (or 2 multiplied by itself 128 times). This is a really huge number, about 340 trillion trillion trillion. While 256-bit is more secure, it's really overkill, although it is used by some websites to impress the uninformed. Indeed, 128-bit SSL is extremely secure.
According to Wikipedia, "The large number of operations required to try all possible 128-bit keys will be out of reach for all of humankind's conventional computing power for the foreseeable future".
And inet2000.com says "it would take significantly longer than the age of the universe to crack a 128-bit key".
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Check MoonFlower.ca's Security
Are you ready to try it out? You don't have to start ordering anything to check our security. Just click the box at the right and go to My Info, our general login page, which is SSL secured.
While various browsers do things differently, there are some shortcuts. Internet Explorer 7 will show the golden padlock to the right of the URL address box, and if you click on that, here's what you should get:
You can then click "View Certificates" for the details.
Firefox 3 puts a blue background on the site icon in the left of the URL address box at the top of the page. If you click on that, here's what you should get:
You can then click "More Information..." for the details. Firefox 3 will also show a locked padlock icon in the gray status bar at the bottom of the screen and on the right, that looks like this:
Again, you have to be on an SSL secured or https web page to see these notices, and your particular web browser or version may display things a little differently.
At MoonFlower Florist, we in fact go a step further. As you can see by the badge image on the left, we use Beanstream Secure Processing for online payments. Beanstream provides sophisticated identity verification, credit card authentication, and anti-fraud checking, that helps protect both you and ourselves. You can click on the badge for more information, and you will see that MoonFlower is a verified Beanstream merchant.
Would you like to know more about staying safe when shopping for flowers online? Then see this MoonFlower Florist article, Buying Flowers Online? Consumer Beware!
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| Beautiful flowers + great service from a real florist who cares! |
| All prices are in Canadian dollars (CAD $) |
Need Help Selecting Flowers?
Feel free to give MoonFlower Florist a call at 416-752-6444 if you need any help in finding or selecting the flowers you want. That's what we're here for!
Quick Links to MoonFlower Florist Info
Some Links to General Toronto Info
Direct Flower Delivery Area: MoonFlower is a quality florist in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and we send our best flowers and beautiful bouquets directly from our retail flower shop to people you care about throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). We deliver directly to all 416 area code Metro communities, including , Etobicoke, , , and York. West of Toronto, we go out to Brampton, Mississauga, and Oakville. To the North, we have direct flower delivery to King, , Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Whitchurch-Stouffville. And to the East, we deliver flowers directly to Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, and Oshawa. The delivery charge is the same for all areas. For a map, please see Local Delivery Area.
Across Canada and the US: We are full-service florists committed to serving all your floral needs, and we can have flowers delivered anywhere across Canada or the US. In this case, we will directly phone as many florists at the destination as it takes to find one that we are confident will do a great job. There is a fee for this service, but our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee still applies. When it has to be right, it just has to be right!
International Flower Orders: We can arrange to have flowers sent to almost any country in the world. But flower availablility, delivery conditions, and other circumstances may vary greatly depending on the destination. For flower orders outside Canada and the US, please call us for specific information.
Custom Flower Orders: Yes, we do custom requests and special orders! MoonFlower is known for original and creative floral design. If you have something special in mind, or need some help to make the right choice, just call us!
Our MoonFlower Exclusive Flower Arrangements: Item #s starting with the letter "M" are MoonFlower exclusive designs and are available only for our direct delivery area. They are delivered right from our design room. As you order on our website, the appropriate delivery options will be shown. Other items can be ordered for delivery anywhere in Canada and the US through Teleflora, which is like FTD except better in our opinion. Teleflora images are used with permission.
© MoonFlower Florist, 2080 Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M1R 2Z5, 416-752-6444
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