As one of the top cyber crime ploys impacting both consumers and businesses, phishing has remained a consistently potent threat over the past several years. In fact, the cumulative number of phishing attacks recorded in 2011 represented a 37 percent increase over 2010. You no longer need to be a sophisticated hacker to commit fraud on the Internet. Anyone who is motivated can join in, thanks to the off-the-shelf phishing kits provided by a thriving cyber crime ecosystem.

The online world can be a scary place as the integration of the Internet into everyone’s lives has also brought with it an ever-increasing trend towards malicious activity. Consumers are understandably concerned. This angst leads to diminished trust in e-commerce and sub-optimal results for online businesses. Consumers and businesses, alike, need protection from online security threats in order to thrive on the Internet and take full advantage of the many benefits of e-commerce.

There are many reasons why now is the right time to make the move to Microsoft Exchange Server 2010, including a host of administration and security improvements. However, as with Exchange Server 2007, Exchange Server 2010 requires SSL certificates to ensure the security of all connections to the email server. This guide from Symantec™ will help you take the guesswork out of implementing SSL for Exchange 2010, making it easier than ever to get the SSL certificate you need for a successful and secure Exchange implementation, and to take advantage of powerful capabilities such as Subject Alternative Names (SANs).

Compliance is a fast-moving target, and it’s getting harder to keep up. In a survey by IT Policy Compliance Group, a consortium dedicated to helping IT security professionals meet policy and compliance goals, 70 percent of all respondents reported being subject to multiple regulatory compliance mandates, as well as contractual obligations and industry standards.

The need for SSL certificates has moved well beyond the “Buy” page to core functions of the enterprise. SSL certificates are used to protect remote employee and partner communications via webmail, chat and IM. Browser-to-server communications for cloud-based services require SSL certificates when used to display customer account information, business partner transactions and for employee productivity tools. Finally, SSL certificates are used to secure server-to server communications for applications and data exchange.

Web-based systems are essential tools for running business processes and delivering services to customers. However, phishing and online fraud undermine customer confidence. In addition, Web security remains a top concern because of constantly evolving threats. Strong authentication and authorization technologies are crucial to help companies reduce the risk of unauthorized information access, protect privacy, and increase trust.

Businesses are increasingly turning to cloud computing for flexibility, cost savings, and a new range of services offered by cloud vendors. The users of cloud computing services and cloud vendors have a shared responsibility to protect private and confidential information.

Mitigation of the security risks associated with cloud computing involves:

• Protecting data moving into and out of the cloud

• Protecting data at rest in the cloud

• Authenticating servers in the cloud

Symantec has the most comprehensive source of Internet threat data in the world through the Symantec™ Global Intelligence Network, which is made up of more than 41.5 million attack sensors and records thousands of events per second. This network monitors threat activity in over 157 countries and territories through a combination of Symantec products and services such as Symantec DeepSight™ Threat Management System, Symantec™ Managed Security Services, Norton™ products, Symantec Website Security Solutions and other 3rd party data sources.

Symantec has the most comprehensive source of Internet threat data in the world through the Symantec™ Global Intelligence Network, which is made up of more than 41.5 million attack sensors and records thousands of events per second. This network monitors threat activity in over 157 countries and territories through a combination of Symantec products and services such as Symantec DeepSight™ Threat Management System, Symantec™ Managed Security Services, Norton™ products, Symantec Website Security Solutions and other 3rd party data sources.

Businesses are increasingly turning to cloud computing for flexibility, cost savings, and a new range of services offered by cloud vendors. The users of cloud computing services and cloud vendors have a shared responsibility to protect private and confidential information.

Mitigation of the security risks associated with cloud computing involves:

• Protecting data moving into and out of the cloud

• Protecting data at rest in the cloud

• Authenticating servers in the cloud

For those doing business in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore. or in other parts of the Asia Pacific region, privacy is a significant concern. Businesses holding personal data have a responsibility to preserve the privacy and confidentiality of that data. The task is complex, especially in an era of sophisticated, global cyber-crime. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates can help protect data and meet the demands of privacy laws across the region.