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 What
is Equifax Secure? |
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Equifax
Secure Ltd is the e-commerce division of Equifax Inc. It
provides security, privacy and transaction risk management
solutions that protect consumers and business from the risk of
identity theft and fraudulent transactions.
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| Why
is a Credit Reference Agency is doing online security? |
We have over 100 years
experience of securely handling and managing data -
because of this experience we are a trusted provider of
internet security solutions as our solutions protect consumers
privacy and can help businesses minimise fraud online.
Our customers have access to the expertise of industry-leading
experts in encryption, data analysis and digital communication
has enabled us to develop a wide range of solutions covering
the entire Internet community. Additionally, our unique
industry focus as a total solution provider offers our
community a distinct competitive edge.
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| What
kind of products and services does Equifax Secure provide? |
Our aim is to manage transaction
risk and provide safety and security for e-commerce with the
industry's most comprehensive set of electronic trust and
decisioning services.
Our products include the
patent pending eID Verifier authentication technology, and
SecureMark certificates for working on line with government.
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What
are Digital Certificates? |
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Certificates
are one of the most secure methods of protecting transactions
over the Internet. A digital certificate is granted by a
trusted party such as Equifax – the trusted party is known
as a Certificate Authority (CA). (CA’s are found under
the security features of your Internet browser).
A certificate contains
identifying information about the certificate holder, name of
certificate authority and a public key for encryption of
secure documents being sent to the recipient. If a browser
recognises the certificate authority, it will allow PKI
encrypted secure communications.
(Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is a type of asymmetric
encryption. Traditional, symmetric encryption uses one key to
encrypt and decrypt documents. This means that the integrity
of information is only as secure as the weakest recipient's
security.
Asymmetric, two-key
encryption, uses one key, the public key, to
encrypt a document or object, and a different, private key, to
decrypt a document.
This protects the private key holder from external breaches of
security. While the private key should never be disclosed
outside the holder organisation, the public key resides on
servers for general access. Anyone wishing to send secure
transmissions to an organisation need simply encrypt the
information using the recipient's public key. Only the
intended recipient, using their private key, will be able to
decrypt the transmitted information. An organisation's public
key is used in digital certificates to allow senders to
encrypt confidential information intended only for the
recipient.) |
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| How
much does a SecureMark Certificate cost? |
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Once we approve your application,
your credit card will be charged £25 +VAT. The
certificate is valid for just a little more than a year. We will
send you reminder notices when your certificate nears
expiration.
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| Why
should I buy a Certificate from Equifax - I've never heard of
them? |
| Unlike other
certificate providers on the Government Gateway, you do not
need to take any documents to an appointed office to verify
your identity. Because Equifax is already a trusted
custodian of data we hold and constantly update information on
330 million consumers and businesses worldwide. Because
of the accuracy and breadth of the data we hold, we are able
to validate identities quickly and effectively online.
This makes it much more convenient for those applying for a
digital certificate. |
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| I've
read lots about computer hackers in the news, how do I know my
transaction is secure? |
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Using a digital certificate
means that the information you send is encrypted – this
secures the information that you are sending and ensures that
it cannot be altered during transmission.
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| How
do I know if I can use Digital Certificates with my computer? |
| Important
Notice: In order to use Equifax SecureMark
certificates for retrieval and submission of forms through the
Government Gateway (www.gateway.gov.uk),
the minimum system requirements are:
Windows 95 or NT 4 (SP3) or
higher
Internet Explorer version
5.01 or above.
A means of submitting your
forms using a Netscape browser is currently under development
by the Gateway. |
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| If
I apply for a certificate how will I receive it? |
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We
will send you an email inviting you to visit our secure
website and import your certificate. A link to the
website is included in the email that we send to make this as
easy as possible. Installation is totally automated.
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| Once
I've got the certificate how do I use it to submit my e-forms
to Government? |
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Visit www.gateway.gov.uk
which provides information.
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| Why
is identity verification so important? |
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The easiest
way to prove the importance is to give an example of how
identity verification can benefit online consumers and
businesses.
Many conventional processes such as mortgage and loan
applications are moving online. Particularly with very
high value transactions such as this there is a high degree of
risk involved on the part of the lender – identity
verification products such as eIDVerifier mean that businesses
can ascertain that an online applicant is who they say they
are in seconds reducing the risk of fraudulent applications.
Consumers benefit by being able to process their whole
application online swiftly and in the knowledge that their own
privacy and identity is being protected.
Another example is if you wanted to purchase a digital
certificate. Without an online verification process you
would have to present documentation such as a driving license
or utility bill to be accepted and this slows down the
process. |
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| Aren't
conventional methods enough? What makes it so vital
online?
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The Internet is a very different
medium for conducting business to “real life”. On
the Internet you can’t see your customers or trading
partners so conventional methods of identification such as
passports, utility bills, etc are all inappropriate for an
on-line environment. |
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Do
consumers want to go through the extra hassle of being
screened like this online? |
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Consumer
research that we have just completed with ICM states that when
asked what they would be prepared to do to make online
transactions more secure, over half of those surveyed said
they would be happy to answer a few questions online to prove
they are who they say they are. That is exactly the
process they would undertake through eID Verifier.
Consumers have to give their consent to the eIDVerifier
process. |
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| Does
Equifax run credit checks on individuals or businesses to whom
it grants digital certificates? |
| No. In fact,
your credit worthiness in no way impacts your ability to get a
digital certificate. |
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| Why
Not? |
| Digital
certificates are not a credit product.
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| Does
Equifax sell any data on consumers to businesses? |
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For marketing
purposes, Equifax does sell information that is already in the
public domain, for example, the electoral roll or when a
consumer has given consent for us to do so.
However,
data collected as part of the certificate application process
will not be used for this purpose.
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| Does the government
automatically see my certificate
application and the information in my credit file? |
| No. Equifax will
keep your certificate application on file and document
how you met the identity requirements but this information is
not automatically shared with the government? |
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| Does
the company plan to sell information regarding customers' web
use? |
| No. |
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| Can
someone or some business lose their digital certificate?
What do they have to do to do that? |
| If someone loses
their laptop for example we can revoke the certificate and
issue a replacement. As with all business agreements we
reserve the right to revoke a certificate if it is being
misused.
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| ©2000 Equifax Secure. All Rights
Reserved. |
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