The fallout from the attack on DigiNotar continued over the weekend, when Google and Mozilla (News - Alert) each announced their intention to permanently block all digital security certificates issued by the Dutch company.
DigiNotar was the victim of a July breach that caused the company to issue more than 500 fraudulent SSL certificates, which are used by Internet companies to keep communications private and to confirm the authenticity of their websites.
The browser makers initially revoked around 200 SSL certificates last week, but made the move to permanently ban all those issued by DigiNotar after it became apparent that the breach was more significant than originally believed.
DigiNotar acknowledged the hack last week, and intimated that it had revoked all fraudulent certificates. However, it soon became evident that the company's efforts fell short after the Dutch government told DigiNotar that it had failed to account for Google (News 
- Alert) and potentially other companies.
The faulty certificate reportedly led to an attack against Gmail users in Iran, the same nation where the original breach was said to have originated.
Now, the updated tally of fake certificates issued stands at 531, and includes the websites of intelligence agencies like the CIA, MI6 and the Israel's Mossad, Mozilla developer Gervase Markham told Computer World. Other affected companies include Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo and Skype (News - Alert).
"Based on the findings and decision of the Dutch government, as well as conversations with other browser makers, we have decided to reject all of the Certificate Authorities operated by DigiNotar," Heather Adkins, an information security manager for Google, noted in a blog post.
Mozilla followed suit and announced a "complete removal" of DigiNotar certificates, essentially leveling the company for the foreseeable future. The Dutch government, which also saw its domains affected by the breach, told its citizens to refrain from logging on to its sites until it had procured certificates from another source, says Computer World.
Markham said in his personal blog that Mozilla took the aggressive step because it lost trust in DigiNotar and parent company Vasco, which failed to notify Mozilla of the breach in a timely manner.
"It is my personal view that public statements by both Vasco and DigiNotar about the extent of and effect of this compromise have been, at best, incomplete and at worst actively misleading," he wrote.
Most analysts believe that the banishment will spell the end for the Dutch firm.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2011, taking place Sept. 13-15, 2011, in Austin, Texas. ITEXPO (News - Alert) offers an educational program to help corporate decision makers select the right IP-based voice, video, fax and unified communications solutions to improve their operations. It's also where service providers learn how to profitably roll out the services their subscribers are clamoring for – and where resellers can learn about new growth opportunities. To register, click here.
Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Rich Steeves
