Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is the protocol over which the majority of secure e-commerce transactions occur. It is based on public key cryptography. "Secure" is open to interpretation by programmers who implement Secure Sockets Layer in their software products. The most powerful Secure Sockets Layer encryption currently available (September 2006) is 128-bit cipher strength. To reduce the chances of exposure to Secure Sockets Layer flaws, it is important to keep client-side software patched. By convention, URLs that require a Secure Sockets Layer connection start with https: instead of http:. When a user visits a secure Web site, that site automatically sends the user its certificate, and Internet Explorer displays a lock icon on the status bar in the lower right corner of the browser window. To ascertain that a Web site's Secure Sockets Layer certification is legitimate, the user can double-click on the lock icon in the system tray. The system will display a property sheet with detailed information about the certificate. |