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 | Virtual Server Documentation |
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SSL - Web Server Encryption
SSL
(Secure Sockets Layer) encryption
provides a level of security and privacy for those wishing to conduct
secure transactions over the Internet. Introduced by
Netscape Communications, the SSL
protocol protects HTTP transmissions over the Internet by adding a layer
of encryption. This insures that your transactions are not subject to
"sniffing" by a third party. For companies wishing to conduct
E-Commerce, such as receiving credit
card numbers or other sensitive information, SSL is a must.
SSL is normally used in tandem with a
Digital Certificate. A Digital Certificate gives
your customers the assurance that your web site is legitimately yours and
not that of an impostor. It contains information about who owns the
certificate (company name, domain name, contact address, etc) as well as
information about the issuing Certificate Authority (VeriSign, Thawte,
etc). It also provides you with a legal basis to perform transactions on
the Internet.
Installation
Ordering SSL for your Virtual Server is easy. Simply contact Technical Support. There
is a nominal $50 Setup Fee required. No monthly charges are applicable.
Using SSL
You can access all of the web content on your Virtual Server (documents,
images, scripts, etc) via SSL by using the https:// prefix rather than the
http:// prefix. For example, your secure web site can be accessed like
this:
https://YOUR-DOMAIN.NAME/
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NOTE:
Thawte Web Server Certificates for Netscape 3.x and Internet Explorer 3.x
web browsers expired on July 31, 1998. For more information and
instructions about updating a Thawte Web Server Certificate, see:
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You can send the data collected by a form on your web site to a CGI script
via SSL by including something like this in form page HTML:
<form method="POST"
action="https://YOUR-DOMAIN.NAME/cgi-bin/script.cgi">
Be sure that you do NOT reference embedded document content (images, etc)
insecurely by using the http:// prefix, like this:
<img src="http://YOUR-DOMAIN.NAME/image.gif">
It is possible to use SSL in conjunction with other Internet protocols.
More Information
For technical documentation of SSL, see:
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