Computers. (Abstracts-2003 Annual Meetings)‪.‬

Secure Sockets Layer: How it Works and Why We Need it. Ryan Laus, Central Michigan University, Park Library, 300 E. Preston, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, was developed by Netscape Communications and has existed for several years now. SSL is a system for encrypting information before it is sent over the Internet, and then decrypting it before it is used. Another key component, SSL certificates, provides a way for web users to verify that the site they are visiting is authentic and not a spoofed site. These certificates are based on the public key/private key architecture and use a number of different ciphers such as RSA, MD5, or Blowfish to generate the key pairs. Since SSL is not a new technology it has gone through several versions, as has most software, with each version offering better protection and improved functionality. What type of features will be available in the next version of SSL? Lastly, I will look at how somebody could compromise or break through SSL and show how to protect yourself from this kind of attack.