Acquiring a digital certificate

          Imagine you run a small business that handles sensitive data for its clients. Such a company might handle payroll for other companies or some other task that requires a great deal of data security. Because you transmit important information (employee data, account numbers, invoices, and the like), you decide it is a good idea to use encryption, to digitally sign e-mail messages, and to have a digital certificate. Visit the websites of certificate authorities. In your web research, determine how much it will cost your company to acquire a digital certificate and the kinds of information you must provide to the certificate authority.