A Web Developer's Guide to Secure Communication

Web applications are often entrusted with sensitive data which must be protected in transit between the Web browser and server to prevent its interception. Networks, especially wireless networks, are susceptible to eavesdropping, and precautions must be taken to ensure that it is not possible to read or interfere with data in the event of interception. Care must also be taken that data goes to its intended destination and is not waylaid en route.Written for professional and student Web developers, this little book provides a clear, non-mathematical introduction to the essentials of cryptography and to the protocols used for securing communication on the World Wide Web, specifically TLS/SSL and HTTPS.Drawing on a thorough understanding of computing principles and many years experience in Web application development, the authors explain both the underlying theory and the available techniques for protecting sensitive data in transit to and from Web applications. Programs written in JavaScript/Node.js provide working examples. Clear key points summarize each section, and technical terms are defined in a glossary.Topics Encryption and decryption of data* Principles underlying ciphers such as DES and AES* Message authentication using SHA and HMAC* Using OpenSSL for encryption and hash computation* Public key cryptography and certificates* Digital signatures* TLS/SSL* HTTPSA short book in the "Web Security Topics" series, by the well-known authors Nigel and Jenny Chapman.