SSL is an acronym for Secure Sockets Layer, an Internet security standard that is widely supported by leading Web browsers and Web servers. SSL functions at the network layer rather than the application layer and are thus available to any SSL-ready Internet application, including newsreaders.
SSL uses RSA public key encryption, RSA certificates and digital signatures to establish the identities of the parties to the transaction. After the link is established, a key exchange takes place, and RSA’s RC4 encryption technology (asymmetric key encryption algorithm) is used to secure the transaction. With the 128-bit keys used for communication within the United States, the encrypted transaction would be computationally infeasible to decode, so it is safe from snoopers and criminals.
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