Web design tools - 86 CHAPTER 8 GETTING EVERYTHING UP AND
86 CHAPTER 8 GETTING EVERYTHING UP AND RUNNING SECURE SOCKET LAYER (SSL) The transfer of confidential or financial data across the Web to and from online banking sites, for example is nearly always protected by an additional layer of secure protection called Secure Socket Layer (SSL) HTTP. You can tell if this is the case with any site because the address will begin with https://. Additionally, most browsers display a padlock symbol at the bottom of the screen. Accessing such sites should be safe, even if your wireless connection isn t protected with either WEP or WPA. Similarly, although online shopping sites don t use SSL while you re browsing, when it s time to pay, they always use SSL. This ensures your credit card details are encrypted. If the store doesn t adopt an https:// address when you click to visit the virtual checkout, you shouldn t shop there! So, there s an argument to be made that you don t really need WEP or WPA protection if you simply use your wireless connection to browse the Internet. However, some web mail services transfer your username and password in the clear, which is to say without using SSL. This means this information could be picked up by an eavesdropper. In the case of Hotmail and Yahoo Mail, you can select secure login, but it isn t activated by default. Google Mail appears to use SSL all the time for login, but after this, your e-mail messages are transmitted across the Internet in the clear and, in theory, can be eavesdropped by anyone, anywhere. Configuring WEP WEP keys come in either hexadecimal (hex) or plain text (passphrase) varieties. Hex keys look like this in their 128-bit form: CB4C4189B1861E19BC9A9BDA59. In their 64-bit form, they will be shorter and may look similar to 4D9ED51E23. A passphrase will take the form of a single short sentence. Ubuntu can work with both 64- and 128-bit keys, as well as passphrases. Follow these steps to configure WEP (these steps assume your network card has already been configured, as described above): 1. Select System . Administration . Networking to open the Network Settings dialog box. 2. Double-click the entry in the list corresponding to your wireless card. 3. In the Key Type drop-down list, select Hexadecimal, if you have a hex key, or select Plain (ASCII), if you have a passphrase. In the WEP Key box, type the key or passphrase. Then click OK. 4. In the Network Settings dialog box, click the entry in the list for your wireless card, as shown in Figure 8-4. Select Deactivate, and then click Activate. Then click OK. 5. Test your connection by attempting to browse to a web site. If you find your card doesn t seem to work after you enter new WEP settings, try rebooting. Then open the Network Settings applet and make sure your card is activated.