Netcraft, the Bath, UK-based Internet consultancy, announced
a monthly Secure Server Survey
that analyzes the use of encrypted transactions on the World Wide Web.
Best known for its Web Server Survey, which identifies the relative
popularity of different brands of Web server software, Netcraft says it is
filling a void for accurate information about the use of strong
cryptography on the Internet.
The firm uses automated network exploration to compile data from which it
draws key metrics about the growth of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) sites, the
relative market shares of different certificate authorities, and the number
of sites using protective encryption.
Mike Prettejohn, director of Netcraft, said: “Market Research companies use
sampling and teleresearch to try and guess this kind of information. We
explore the network and find out.”
One initial finding of the survey is an indication that the U.S.
government’s export regulations, prohibiting the sale of strong
encryption, has done little to inconvenience businesses outside the U.S.
from using it.
“Currently around 1 in 3 sites run by non-U.S. companies are capable of
128-bit encryption, albeit with significant variations from country to
country, in some cases reflecting local legislation on cryptography,”
according to Netcraft.