Specifications

Security
2-22
Secure Web Sessions
The R2 has the following security features for users who access the R2 using the web
interface:
• Ability to enable or disable web management.
• Password protection. At anytime, you can change the password needed by users to
access the R2 using the web interface.
• Secure web sessions in addition to the normal web sessions. The R2 allows you to
enable TLS (Transport Layer Security), which is based on SSL 3.0, for a secure HTTP
session.
When the TLS feature is enabled, you can access the R2 using a secure web session by
specifying HTTPS and the address, or access the R2 through a normal web session by
specifying HTTP and the address.
When the TLS feature is enabled, the R2 generates a self-signed X.509 certificate, which
the client must accept. The certificate is a digitally signed document used for
authentication. The certificate contains the public key, signing algorithm, and digital
signature of the R2.
An X.509 certificate binds an identity to a pair of electronic keys, public and private, that
encrypt and sign digital information. The public key is used to verify a signature, and
encrypt or decrypt data. It is derived from the private key.
The private key is used to create a signature, and encrypt or decrypt data. The key type is
RSA (named after its authors). When creating a certificate, you choose the size of the key
(in bits). The larger the key, the more secure the encryption; however, the R2 requires more
time to create a certificate based on a larger key than a smaller key.
When creating a certificate, you also select the signature algorithm. The private and public
keys use this algorithm to encode and decode the data. The R2 provides a choice of standard
signature algorithms, such as RSA with Secure Hash Algorithm 1 (SHA1) and RSA with
Message Digest 5 (MD5).
You can create a new certificate on a regular basis for security, or whenever you suspect
that the certificate has been compromised.
To have a secure web session with the R2, you must use Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or
higher, or Netscape Communicator 4.0 or higher.