government websites
Government in the United States has a long history of serving the citizens of the country in a variety of ways. For decades or even centuries, government has run the postal service, guarded the borders, maintained the military, and regulated commerce. Federal, state, and local governments all serve distinct purposes but are there to support and keep the American people safe. In the twenty first century, even government, which historically has been behind the times in terms of technological advancements, has turned to the internet to conduct much of its business. This means government websites have popped up everywhere, and each needs to be safe, secure, and functional.

For example, your local county government is likely the one who runs your Department of Motor Vehicles, where you would get your driver’s license, register to vote, or register your car. The access this entity has to your private information must be secure, and if you are entering it on their website instead of in person, their website must guarantee that SSL certificates are guarding your information from any wrong doing. Even information entered in person is likely uploaded to a database stored online, where it joins all of the other information provided to your local county. This office performs an essential safety function, in keeping our roads safe from unlicensed drivers and uninsured cars, but they must also ensure safety of our information, easy and transparent access to their website with the right domain names, and the privacy of identity protection that everyone requires.

Many government assistance programs are intended to serve the needier and more vulnerable people in our population, such as children and low income adults. These programs can provide medical and food assistance to folks in need. The people applying for the programs likely have fewer resources at the ready, and rely heavily on accurate and protected information that is uploaded onto government websites.

securityThese programs often require that beneficiaries present proof of citizenship, meaning that social security numbers are often required. If these cannot be kept secure with the proper SSL certificate, then any client is vulnerable to identity theft when they are already in the tough spot of needing government assistance. Keeping this information secure is a benefit to both the client, who is at much less risk of identity theft, and the government, who is at less risk for fraudulent activity because of identity theft. Preventing money being spent for fraudulent purposes from the beginning is much easier than trying to chase down that money after the fact and reclaim it.

It is vital that the people are able to trust their government, and with that trust comes a heavy burden. As more and more of government’s business is conducted online, heavily secured websites and databases are necessary to protect people’s identities, as well as their financial and health information in many cases. This requires excellent internet security and highly functional websites that can gather information and process applications, and improve the accuracy of reporting. Keeping both the taxpayer and the government safe from fraud or other wrong doing is vital to the health and safety of the country.

Do Government Websites use SSL?

Leave a Reply