In each case, vendors of these technologies rose to the occasion, making sure each was up to the ever-increasing challenges. We chose the combined capability of digital certificates, encryption, and PKI as a Technology of the Year award winner. It's important to note that these three technologies cannot stand on their own. Digital certificates depend on encryption, encrypted e-mail relies heavily on PKI, and PKI in turn depends on digital certificates and encryption to be useful. These technologies are helping companies to build their businesses for the Web while ensuring that vital customer and corporate information is kept confidential.
Digital certificates are important for many different businesses.
They help customers and businesses to verify the source of information and files and to determine the authenticity of software applications and other products. And without an easy way to verify the source of bug fixes and virus signature updates, customers could not trust the information that your business provides. Encryption has also been a key technology in 2000. All facets of networking and computing depend on the security of information. The maturation of these three technologies during 2000 helped to drive the Internet economy forward and will continue to do so.