I am investigating security considerations around the user login for a GWT 
application in respect of the following strategy:

   - User enters their id and password in a dialogue;
   - Client transmits the login request with the above details to the 
   server using RPC;
   - Server returns a token unique to the client.  The client stores this 
   in a cookie such that if they press F5 to reload the application, or 
   navigate away and come back, they do not need to login again (within a 
   timeout period);
   - On every request the client sends to the server, the token is included 
   in the payload of the request to authenticate the request;

There are some obvious flaws in this approach:

   - The "Eve" type hacker listening on the network can intercept the plain 
   text userid and password and reuse them directly in their client;
   - If someone gains physical access to the original users computer, can 
   they lift the server token from the cookie and use the token on the their 
   computer to impersonate the original user?

What are the solutions to these security exposures:

   - Use SSL.  Any good guides about doing this with GWT?  Does SSL also 
   defeat the "Mallory" attacker that can also modify network data?
   - Any non-SSL solutions?

Perhaps there's a guide about this out there somewhere, but all I can find 
so far is information relating to javascript security.

Thanks
Simon.

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