It's 1995, and everyone is talking about the "Information Superhighway." But for those of us trying to build actual businesses on the web, there’s been one giant hurdle: security. Sending data over the internet is like shouting your secrets in a crowded room. That changes today with Netscape's Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) 2.0.
The Handshake
SSL works by creating an encrypted tunnel between the browser and the server. It uses a combination of public-key cryptography (to exchange a secret) and symmetric-key cryptography (to encrypt the actual data).
As a developer, you don't have to worry about the math; you just have to configure your server with a certificate.
# In the future, we'll use tools like OpenSSL to generate these
# For now, we're working with Netscape's early implementations
https://www.example.com
When a user visits an https URL, the browser checks the server's certificate. If it's valid, they see a little "broken key" icon turn into a whole key (in Netscape Navigator). It’s a powerful psychological signal that the site is "safe."
The Performance Hit
There's no free lunch, of course. Encryption is computationally expensive. Running an SSL-enabled server requires significantly more CPU power than a standard HTTP server. We’re finding that we can only handle a fraction of the simultaneous users on a secure connection compared to an insecure one.
We’re also seeing some early bugs in the protocol-some researchers are already pointing out weaknesses in how SSL 2.0 handles certain types of attacks. But compared to sending everything in plain text? It’s a revolution.
Looking Ahead
SSL is the missing piece of the puzzle for the web. Without secure connections, the internet would just be a fancy library. With SSL, it becomes a global marketplace. I expect we’ll see a massive wave of online retailers-Amazon and eBay are already leading the way-and soon, "online shopping" will move from a geeky curiosity to a mainstream habit. We just need to keep refining the encryption to stay ahead of the hackers.
Aunimeda develops websites and web applications for businesses - corporate sites, e-commerce, portals, and custom platforms.
Contact us to discuss your web project. See also: Web Development, E-commerce Development