[Web4lib] Use SSL on Patron Account Pages?

[KLINGLER, THOMAS]

I agree with you that most folks expect SSL now.  We've used it for
several years on our III webpac ( http://kentlink.kent.edu/ )

It's worth the couple hundred dollars per year for the peace of mind.

Investigate other options like Thawte  http://www.thawte.com/  and
GeoTrust http://www.geotrust.com/    You may find lower prices.

Plus, you'll want to have your certificate in place for when you
implement III's e-commerce option that allows your patrons to pay their
fines and bills online with a credit card! ;-)


Tom Klingler
Assistant Dean for Systems & Technical Services
Libraries & Media Services
Library Room 383
Kent State University
Kent, Ohio 44242-0001
tk at kent.edu 

http://www.personal.kent.edu/~tk/

330-672-1646

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Pruntel,Alison
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 2:07 PM
To: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Web4lib] Use SSL on Patron Account Pages?

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/ 

 

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