Chapter 18. Secure Sockets Layer
When the Web was used primarily for the exchange of public information, there was little concern about the security of the information being exchanged. Most information was intended to be public, and the Web helped to make information more attainable.
As the Web began to be used to exchange more sensitive data, a method was needed to protect the HTTP messages being exchanged. One key characteristic of HTTP that you may have noticed thus far is that the messages are sent in the clear, meaning that anyone who can view these messages can easily interpret them. Even HTTP authentication fails to protect the messages themselves from eavesdropping.
This is especially troubling when you consider how client data is communicated ...
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