[Web4lib] Use SSL on Patron Account Pages?

[Thomas Bennett]

We are using III and the link to "My Account" is SSL.  We are using an Equifax 
certificate mainly because we can go through campus networking to easily 
request it.  It does cost less than Verisign when we changed 2 or more years 
ago.

Our Library WEB site also has some ssl connections but mainly for our users to 
log in for uploading pages or getting to our help desk.  This is through 
Apache and I created a local certificate since it was not for public use 
which means browsers will give you a popup the first time you connect telling 
you this is not a commercial certificate but most browsers will let you see  
it is self issued and the encryption.  And, there should be a check box to 
always trust if you don't want to see the popup agian.

Thomas




On Monday 04 February 2008 14:06, Pruntel,Alison wrote:
> Please excuse cross-posting, as I'm querying several lists I subscribe
> to.
>
>
>
> We've had a patron complain because we do not use SSL/encryption when
> they log into their patron account using our Web OPAC (III's
> Millennium). Luckily, III provides a way to enable this fairly quickly,
> but we're of course going to have to spend money on purchasing a
> certificate from Verisign. My director asked if all other libraries are
> doing this, and as I poked around other Northern Virginia library sites
> and checked the "Log in to my account," type of areas of their online
> catalog, I noticed none of them are using SSL/encryption. I was actually
> kind of surprised, thinking it was just something that slipped by us
> only.
>
>
>
> I would be much appreciated if you could check and see if your library
> uses SSL for the patron information functions of your Web OPAC and let
> me (or the list) know whether or not you do secure that information and
> if so/not, why did you (your library) opt for this? I think most
> web-savvy people assume that when they are logging in to a Web site,
> whether their library account or a commerce site like Amazon, they
> assume that the data is encrypted.
>
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
>
>
>
>
> Alison Pruntel
> Electronic Resources Librarian
> Fauquier County Public Library
> 11 Winchester Street
> Warrenton, VA 20186
> 540-349-2770 (voice)
> 540-349-3278 (fax)
> http://library.fauquiercounty.gov
> http://fcpleresources.blogspot.com/
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Web4lib mailing list
> Web4lib at webjunction.org
> http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/

-- 
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Thomas McMillan Grant Bennett		Appalachian State University
Operations & Systems Analyst		P O Box 32026
University Library				Boone, North Carolina 28608
(828) 262 6587

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