https?

[Chris Zagar]

https is the secure counter-part to http.  When you connect to a server
using https, the information between your browser and that server is
encrypted.  Many sites use http for normal access since encryption does
incur processing overhead, but switch you into https if you move to some
confidential information such as viewing personal information, making
purchases, accessing bank accounts, etc.

Netscape and Internet Explorer both display a little icon of a lock in
the locked position when you are accessing a site with https, so you can
either watch the URL or the lock symbol to know if your connection is
secure.

To provide https services to your remote users, you need a digital
certificate for your server.  These are typically purchased from
http://www.verisign.com and must be renewed annually.  VeriSign's site has
more information on this.  There are also programs available to create
your own digital certificates, but these are typically used more for
in-house-only projects since they trigger warning messages in browsers
that question the validity of the certificate.

Chris

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Chris Zagar, MALS                                         Useful Utilities
zagar at UsefulUtilities.com             PO Box 6371, Glendale, AZ 85312-6371
http://www.UsefulUtilities.com      FAX: (888) 282-9754 or +1.603.925.8961