Payonline Security

Or more specifically the "sec_error_unknown_issuer" error

North Shore Libraries recently had a customer asking whether the Payonline security was up to scratch having received a "security error" message on connecting.

The "invalid security certificate" problem lies not with the Payonline site itself, but with an additional security layer added to Firefox V3. We have not had any issues with any other browsers, and we have tested all commonly used browsers and versions. If the customer has recently upgraded to Firefox 3, they will likely see more of this message as it is an issue with the new browser.

The Payonline site is secured by an SSL Certificate from Thawte, one of the largest security certification companies in the world. This certification is recognised by every other browser. The Payonline secure site is fully PCI DSS-Compliant (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) and its security has been independently audited as part of that process. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PCI_DSS)

The certificate itself is issued to Auckland City Council, as this is where the servers are located. All credit card transactions are processed in New Zealand, and no customer card details are kept in the Payonline system.

Please feel free to refer any customer queries to us at the eLGAR office, but at this stage all we can suggest is that if the customer adds the Payonline site to their Firefox exception list the problem will go away. We are working on a resolution on this problem, but we are by no means the only ones facing it, and I cannot give a date for resolution at this stage.