Depending on the SSL encryption used (high chance its 128bit encryption) then breaking SSL certificates is extremely difficult, if you remember about 6 months ago a university did manage to extract a small number of characters from an SSL transaction, but this was using a large cluster of number-crunching systems, which took a long time to get just a few characters from the transaction, so rest assured, SSL transactions over either wireless or wired are perfectly safe for the time being, unless someone happens to have a portable cluster with them...
Richard Parry ZOOL Networks ( www.zoolnet.co.uk <http://www.zoolnet.co.uk/> ) Managed, Dedicated & Shared Hosting Solutions Telephone: +44(0)1543 301003 Fax: +44(0)1543 416668 Mobile (Emergency): +44(0)7967 959740 -----Original Message----- From: Craig Brauckmiller [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 08 July 2003 6:33 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: HTTPS - How hard to decrypt? We have begun rolling out wireless cards to our VP laptops. We have also purchased T-Mobile Hotspot accounts for them to use in such places as Starbucks, American Admiral's Clubs, etc. From my testing, the user name and password entry screen that TMobile requires you to fill in before they will allow you to do any type of surfing. The login page does use HTTPS, so I assume the user name and password are encrypted when the user submits the page. How hard is it to decrypt SSL based traffic over a wireless link or wired for that matter? Is it something trivial, or would it take some time to break? I just worry about a hacker hanging out at Starbucks and snagging a user name and password for free internet access. Thanks Craig Brauckmiller --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evaluating SSL VPNs' Consider NEOTERIS, chosen as leader by top analysts! The Gartner Group just put Neoteris in the top of its Magic Quadrant, while InStat has confirmed Neoteris as the leader in marketshare. Find out why, and see how you can get plug-n-play secure remote access in about an hour, with no client, server changes, or ongoing maintenance. Visit us at: http://www.neoteris.com/promos/sf-6-9.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evaluating SSL VPNs' Consider NEOTERIS, chosen as leader by top analysts! The Gartner Group just put Neoteris in the top of its Magic Quadrant, while InStat has confirmed Neoteris as the leader in marketshare. Find out why, and see how you can get plug-n-play secure remote access in about an hour, with no client, server changes, or ongoing maintenance. Visit us at: http://www.neoteris.com/promos/sf-6-9.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
