Companies that do not do enough to keep their websites secure are to be named and shamed to help improve security. The list of good and bad sites will be published regularly by the non-profit Trustworthy Internet Movement (TIM).
A survey carried out to launch the group found that more than 52% of sites tested were using versions of security protocols known to be compromised.
TIM has initially focused on a widely used technology known as the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
Many websites use SSL to encrypt communications between them and their users. It is used to protect credit card numbers and other valuable data as it travels across the web.
"SSL is one of the fundamental parts of the internet," said Mr Courtot. "It's what makes it trustworthy and right now it's not as secure as you think."
TIM was founded by Philippe Courtot, chairman and CEO of Qualys, at the request of many large corporations and industry leaders who share the view that with the emergence of cloud technologies, TIM now has a unique opportunity to build security into the fabric and not as an afterthought. Philippe has personally pledged half a million dollars to support TIM.
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