Expert: Scottgem - 3/9/2005

Question
Hi, just got stuck with a terminology that I am not familiar with. Would you mind explaining what SSL-encrypted web page means in the following sentence and what exactly I need to do before sending and receiving data?

--Panera Wi-Fi access is as secure as any open public access network like public telephones and dial-up internet accounts. It's always a good idea to make sure you are on an SSL-encrypted web page prior to sending or receiving confidential data.--

Answer
SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. Without getting technical (if you want technical google that phrase) its a protocol secure, encrypted communications between your PC and the WEB server. There are two ways to tell if the page you are on is using SSL. One is the lock icon on the right side of the status bar. The other is the URL will be prefaced by https instead of just http.

HTH
Scott<>