April 5th, 1999

from Web Proxy Servers, 1/e

Encryption is used to protect the confidentiality and integrity of information and provide authentication between the client and the server. Web technology uses two kinds of encryption mechanisms together: single (private) key encryption and public key encryption. The main subject of this book is the security of networks by the means of firewalls and proxy servers; it will not focus on the protection of data by encryption. However, we will briefly go over the basics of encryption technology, and how it is used in the World Wide Web.

Contents:

• Introduction
• Public Key Cryptography
• Authentication With Public Key Cryptography
• Message Digest (Hash) Algorithms
• The MD5 Algorithm
• Certificates
• Summary