SSL Security
Web-based information systems security
All of Greenwich University’s web-based information systems that transmit or receive personal data are secured using 128bit RC4 SSL (https) encryption from the certificating authority Global Sign. This includes all self service systems accessed via the student portal.
What makes a web site secure?
A secure Web site uses encryption and authentication standards to protect the confidentiality of information sent during Web transactions. Encryption is a way of scrambling data so that only the computer and the Web server involved in the transaction can decipher the personal or confidential information. The most common protocol used for encrypting data is Secure Socket Layer or SSL. When you connect to a Web site using SSL your Web browser confirms the identify of the server, or authenticates it, using a digital certificate. Most Web browsers are configured by default to use SSL for secure sites and to warn you when you enter or leave a site using SSL.
In my web browser, how do I know if a site is on a secure server?
By default, Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, will warn you when you are entering or leaving a secure web site. However, if you have turned these notifications off, the browsers also provide visual clues in the form of a padlock graphic:
- Internet Explorer: A yellow padlock will appear next to the address bar.
- Mozilla Firefox: A padlock will appear in the bottom right corner of the browser window.
Why can’t I see a padlock in my browser window when accessing secure data via the portal?
When you access the portal using your user ID and password, the portal manages onwards authentication via embedded channels which are delivered using html frames. Not all channels within the portal are ssl enabled, and so there will be no security “padlock” displayed in the resulting windows. The key thing to understand is that you are still using the same ssl security enabled system, just embedded within a portal channel.
To check whether the page you are looking at is secure, follow the instructions below:
- Internet Explorer:
1) Right click within the browser window and select properties:
2) View the security information via the “Connection” field:
- Mozilla Firefox:
1) Right click within the browser window and select This Frame > View Frame Info:
2) View the security information via the “Personal Information Menu”:
