Should I really be concerned about Internet privacy?
You bet you should. The connection between you and any other point on the Internet can be routed through dozens of independent systems, any of which can easily be monitored. You should consider non-encrypted e-mail, web browsing, chatting, and any other Internet use about as private as yelling to someone across a crowded room.
What does SSL mean to me, the average Internet user?
When you come across a web page that is secured, your browser will likely display a 'closed lock' or other symbol to inform you that SSL has been enabled. The web site address should also now start with "https://" rather than the usual "http://".
In a nutshell, SSL allows a secure connection between your web browser and a web server.
This secure information 'tunnel' was developed by Netscape Communications and was based on encryption algorithms developed by RSA Security. SSL is being widely adopted by numerous companies for other client/server uses other than web surfing.
What is SSL?
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a protocol designed to enable secure communications on an insecure network such as the Internet. SSL provides encryption and integrity of communications along with strong authentication using digital certificates.
