## SSL Settings

This section describes how to use the SSL Settings panel. If you are not already viewing the panel, follow these steps:

1. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
2. Under the Privacy and Security category, choose SSL. (If no options are visible under Privacy and Security, click its triangle to expand the list.)

In this section: SSL Protocol Versions SSL Warnings Client Certificate Selection

### SSL Protocol Versions

The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol defines rules governing mutual authentication between a web site and browser software and the encryption of information that flows between them. The Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol is an IETF standard based on SSL. TLS 1.0 can be thought of as SSL 3.1.

You should normally leave both SSL checkboxes and the TLS checkbox in the Options panel selected to ensure that both older and newer web servers can work with Certificate Manager.

Some servers that do not implement SSL correctly cannot negotiate the SSL handshake with client software (such as Certificate Manager) that supports TLS. To allow Certificate Manager to use SSL with such TLS-intolerant servers, click the "Enable TLS" checkbox to deselect it.

### SSL Warnings

It's easy to tell when the web site you are viewing is using an encrypted connection. If the connection is encrypted, the lock icon in the lower-right corner of the Navigator window is locked. If the connection is not encrypted, the lock icon is unlocked.

For many people, the lock icon provides sufficient information about a page's encryption status. If you want additional warnings, you can select one or more of the warning checkboxes in SSL Settings preferences panel. Think carefully about whether you want such warnings, since they can be annoying.

These are the choices you can make about Navigator warnings:

- If you want to be reminded whenever you are entering or leaving a web site that supports encryption, select one or both of "Entering a site that supports encryption" and "Leaving a site that supports encryption."
- If you want to be warned when you are viewing pages containing a mix of encrypted and unencrypted material (a situation in which the lock icon is unlocked), select "Viewing a page with an encrypted/unencrypted mix"
- If you want some assurance that you won't inadvertently send sensitive information to a web site that doesn't provide an encrypted connection, select "Sending unencrypted information to a site." You may want to select this option even if you don't want any of the others.

### Client Certificate Selection

You can decide how Navigator selects a certificate from among those you have on file to identify you to a web site:

- If you want Navigator to choose a certificate without asking you, click Select Automatically. This is usually the preferred setting.
- If you want Navigator to ask you to select a certificate each time a web site requests one, click Select Manually.

[ Return to beginning of SSL Settings section ]

5/10/2001

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