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Secure Sockets Layer, a set of security
protocols invented by netscape for protecting electronic
financial transactions. SSL is an open specification that includes
encryption software based on the rsa algorithm, and it is widely
used by websites to prevent credit-card or other personal information
being intercepted by snoopers. Although it is itself extremely secure,
ssl secures only the link between a user's computer and a server
at the end. Unlike a certificate signed with a digital signature, it
says nothing at all about who the user is actually connected to , a fact
that has largely been concealed from the users themselves, who are regularly
assured that any site featuring ssl encryption is safe. Some clever
crackers have managed to divert users invisibly away from bona-fide
sites to a convincing ssl-enabled imitation, where they then proceed
to steal their money in a secure but nonetheless illegal way. |
