Security question...

[Geoff]

Sorry if this is such an obvious question, but I figured I'd ask anyway...

Is there some sort of encription / security layer between the iPhone and the cell towers? This quiestion came up when I was looking at Amazon's iPhone app. I am assuming that passwords and such are encrypted.

Any ideas?

Thanks!

 

[Rene Ritchie]

I believe Amazon is using SSL (secure socket layer, which is shown as https if you were looking at a web page) connections to transmit data (whether it be by WiFi or cell data). This is one of the big advantages of the iPhone having a real web browser (unlike some other platforms where opera mini etc. use proxies and thus break SSL).

If you weren't using SSL, you may decide to worry about sniffing of WiFi or cell data signals, but your WiFi router is hopefully WPA AES protected with a good, lengthy pseudo-random password, and between the device and the cell, I believe they use some type of medium-level encryption (can't remember) though I've not heard many cases of cell data sniffing.

Bottom-line, with legit SSL you're pretty much as secure as web traffic can be.

 

[jamesus]

I think he was asking if the Amazon app uses SSL to communicate. Based on the link below, Amazon states that it is a secure as using the regular website.

Amazon Mobile for iPhone