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Date:      Wed, 05 Feb 2003 11:50:18 -0800
From:      Terry Lambert <tlambert2@mindspring.com>
To:        Josef Karthauser <joe@tao.org.uk>
Cc:        freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: Anyone where to get a signed SSL certificate cheap?
Message-ID:  <3E416AFA.85AF4F28@mindspring.com>
References:  <20030205181724.GB87471@genius.tao.org.uk>

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Josef Karthauser wrote:
> I know that this is slightly off topic, but maybe someone here could
> advise me.
> 
> I need to obtain a certificate to use on my openssl/apache web server,
> but looking at Verisign and Thawte it appears that they're charging a
> lot of money ($450) per year for one!  Does anyone know where I can get
> one cheaper?  Last time I bought I'm sure that they were only $100/yr
> each.


This issue comes up on Slashdot every month or so, and there's a
huge amount of people who have rendered opinions on it.

The general answer is a process:

1)	Identify the browsers you wish to be able to access your
	HTTPS content.

2)	Examine them to determine the signing authorities which
	they recognize by default.

3)	From the intersection set, pick whichever one is cheapest.

Note that many people have older browsers: the older the browser,
the smaller the number of signing authorities they will recognize
by default.  Keep this in mind when picking browsers to examine.


As a general comment, VeriSign does this as well, and tends to get
the signing authority to either raise their price, or, if they will
not, buys them, and raises their price.  Certificate signing is fast
becoming a monopoly.

-- Terry

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