How Symantec’s Norton Seal Debacle Impacts the Sports Industry

Raise your hand if you purchase sports apparel online.

If you are like the other 7 million consumers and sports fans that are holding their hands high in support of purchasing products of their favorite sports teams online, then you understand that shopping online is all about trust. And up until recently, their decision to buy products from companies who proudly showcase the VeriSign Checkmark of security was a no-brainer decision based on the quality of that software and the reliability of that checkmark of approval. 

But that all ended in April of 2012. 

It was at this time that Symantec, the parent company of Norton Anti-Virus and recently acquired VeriSign Products in 2010 made the decision that all VeriSign SSL Programs would now display the Norton Secured Seal and replace the highly trusted and regarded VeriSign Checkmark of Approval. 

In layman’s terms, this would be like paying for high-quality Nike Apparel and receiving a Nike-Quality shirt with a cheap logo. Sure it would work for you, but you would be hesitant about the quality of the product. For many people across the world, having a company change brands or identifying marks are really no big deal. When you think about it, companies do this all the time. However, when over ¾ of the people who purchase products online do so because of their trust in a particular brand and seal of approval – this can significantly impact the marketplace. 

Here is how it is impacting the sports world. 

Virtually every Major Sports League team’s website in the past few years has been protected online with some sort of SSL Certificate of Approval – and most of them used VeriSign as their choice to protect the online security and privacy of their customers. Two great examples are the NFL’s San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders. 

Both teams are hard fought rivals in the AFC West, and up until last year, both teams’ websites have been protected by VeriSign SSL Security Software. Take a quick look at both teams’ websites and tell me what you see.

http://www.sandiegochargers.com

http://www.oaklandraiders.com

If you clicked on the link, you’ll notice that there is ZERO SSL Certificate posted on their main websites. This means that if you choose to order merchandise from these two highly established NFL Franchises – there is nothing protecting your privacy folks. The Charger’s website has no SSL secured software, and the Raiders have now moved to a different provider than before. 

Now why would a company and established Professional Franchise like the two above NOT protect their customers or change all of the sudden?

Perhaps because the company they used in the past is no longer reliable. When Symantec made the decision to place the Norton seal on VeriSign products this showed a significant lack of trust and judgment. I don’t know for certain why these two sports teams are ‘naked’ online now, but I find it very curious that they no longer support VeriSign, Norton or any other SSL Security Software. 

So, the lesson here is if you shop online for sports apparel – buyer beware that most of these professional websites have ZERO SSL Certificates and your personal information could be at risk – all thanks to Symantec’s business branding decision.