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Encrypted Web Forms

Jan 22nd, 2007 | Posted in Website Tips |

An encrypted web form allows your visitors to connect to your contact page securely using a URL that starts with https:// (which designates a secure connection), versus a URL that starts with http:// (which designates an insecure connection) and transmit data securely to the server. Using a secure contact form gives you the following security enhancement….

  • All data sent through your contact form is encrypted between your visitors computer and your web server so that it cannot be eavesdropped upon, intercepted, or modified during transmission. This is like a “secure pipe” between your visitor and web server that no one can penetrate.

There are essentially two ways I recommend setting up a secure web form. The one you should use depends on the type of email address you want:

  1. Purchase an SSL certificate and dedicated IP address for your website ($60/year): This works best if you set up a domain email address (you@yourdomain.com) and check your mail directly on the server via the webmail integrated with your hosting account.
  2. Purchase Hushmail’s Secure Form Premium Service ($90/year with their webmaster bundle): This is ideal for people who want to use a Hushmail address. Hushmail also allows you to check external POP3 email accounts – which means you could still receive email from your domain address through your Hushmail account.

Important details to consider when using your own SSL Certificate…..
What most people don’t realize is that information sent from a secure web form is only secure between your visitors computer and the web server that the security certificate is installed on. This means that if you have an SSL certificate installed on your website, the connection is only secure between your visitors PC and the web server.

If you download your emails off of the server with a desktop email client (Outlook, Thunderbird, etc) or have your web form send the contact data to an email address not on the web server (yahoo, hotmail, aol)….the transmission will no longer be secure once it leaves the server.
For this reason, I recommend people only purchase their own SSL certificate and dedicated IP if they plan on using a domain email address & checking it directly on the server. Any other delivery method will compromise the security you had set up.

In general, I think Hushmail is better suited for what most adult entertainers need in terms of web form security. The only draw back is that you have to sign up for a premium account in order to access the secure forms tool, which requires that you give them your real name & billing information. This may be an issue for ladies who are trying to keep their professional and personal identities completely separate.

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