<http://enterprise.aim.com/products/aim/personalcerts/>
Encrypted Instant Messaging AIM users can now send and receive messages, participate in chats and send files using industry-standard digital encryption using AIM (version 5.2.3211 or higher, Windows operating systems). Messages sent between AIM users with security credentials are digitally signed and encrypted and remain encrypted during message transmission. Referred to as "end-to-end encryption", AIM encryption goes beyond basic Secure Socket Layers (SSL) encryption - which is commonly used for encrypting messages between a user's browser and a server's web site. Enterprise AIM Services Our new Enterprise AIM Services offering provides businesses the services and tools needed to manage AIM communications, ensure security and maintain consistent user identities across e-mail and instant messaging. This includes: AIM: Desktop communications tool with access to over 190 million registered members AIM Enterprise Gateway: Enhances security, management and control for IT professionals AIM Private Domain Services: Maintains consistent user identities across corporate communication tools AIM Federated Authentication services: Authenticates users to the AOL Network from your Corporate Directory AIM Security Credentials: Digital certificates to guarantee identity of users and enable encryption exchanges between security-enabled clients Advantages of Digital Certificates over SSL for encryption Although SSL is widely used, it does not provide the best security over a Public Instant Messaging network. This is because SSL decrypts the message package at the server interrupting encryption and relaying an unencrypted message over the Public Instant Messaging server network. The end-to-end encryption featured in AIM, is superior to SSL because message content remains encrypted during the entire message transmission. After the recipient's identity is verified via the corresponding certificate, the message is decrypted successfully accomplishing a secure end-to-end encryption. More on Personal Certificates Security credentials that enable these capabilities - Personal Digital Certificates - are an optional service available to enterprises as part of the Enterprise AIM Services offering. Personal Digital Certificates are electronic files that: Guarantee (or authenticate) the personal identity of the AIM member Encrypt data to ensure that message exchanges are protected against theft or tampering AIM users can send and receive both encrypted and standard AIM messages. Messages exchanged with users that have security credentials are encrypted and messages with standard AIM users are not encrypted. How Personal Digital Certificates Work Personal Digital Certificates are based on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) technology. PKI technology uses a Public Key and Private Key to identify you and encrypt messages. No two keys are ever identical, which is why a key can be used to identify its owner. Each key is like a unique encryption device. What a public key encrypts, only the corresponding private key can decrypt, and vice versa. The Personal Digital Certificates used by AIM allow you to identify yourself and to encrypt and decrypt messages between AIM users with Personal Digital Certificates. When Digital Certificates are present, a message is digitally encrypted and signed by the senders Private Key then sent to the recipient. When the recipient receives the message the senders Public Key and Private Key must successfully correspond prior to decrypting the message. What a Private Key encrypts, only the corresponding Public Key can decrypt, and vice versa. With AIM all of these sophisticated checks are performed without noticeable delays in speed of message exchange. Advantages of Digital Certificates over SSL for encryption More on Personal Certificates How Personal Digital Certificates Work Sales Inquiry Downloads Partners Documentation Knowledge Base TicketTracker -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Cryptography Mailing List Unsubscribe by sending "unsubscribe cryptography" to [EMAIL PROTECTED]