Does SSL Provide Enough Security for Internet Transactions?

For the most part, SSL is a very secure mechanism for most data transfers on the Internet. Although SSL is still a proposed standard for the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the IEEE has adopted SSL, and in addition, a successor called Transport Layer Security (TLS), which is also an IETF proposed standard. TLS is built on the SSL protocol, and you can find out more about it by searching at the Web site www.rfc-editor.org.

Before January 2000, the U.S. government prohibited the export of encryption technologies that used keys longer than 40 “56 bits. That restriction has been lifted, so applications using 128-bit keys can now be exported, with the exception of countries that the U.S. places trade restrictions on (such as Libya and Cuba). Thus, it is now possible to ensure a great deal of security when transacting with Web sites in various countries . Keep in mind, however, that securing a session is one thing. Trusting the Web site to be a reliable vendor is another.