Secure Socket Layer is obsolete, so if you still refer to SSL connections it is time you meet Transport Layer Security, aka TLS or SSL/TLS.  TLS is a must in e-commerce, or any site that wants to ensure that any traffic between the server and a remote computer is encrypted so that it is much harder to intercept or change.  VPNs can be unwieldy for someone who simply wants to set up a server to share family movies or other media and getting a proper certificate from a certificate authority tends to cost money.  Ars Technica introduces you to StartSSL, which will allow you to set up your very own Class 1 TLS and create and share your own certificates so that only the family members you like get access to your server.
“Anyone operating a server on any scale should want a digital certificate to encrypt data between clients and services, whether for personal, office, or public use. Ars tells you how to obtain and install one, for free.”

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