News is out that criminals can spy on Internet users even if they're using secure connections to banks, online retailers or other sensitive Web sites.
The attacks demonstrated at the Black Hat conference here show how determined hackers can sniff around the edges of encrypted Internet traffic to pick up clues about what their targets are up to.
It's like tapping a telephone conversation and hearing muffled voices that hint at the tone of the conversation. The problem lies in the way Web browsers handle Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL, encryption technology. SSL is widely used on sites trafficking in sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, and its presence is shown as a padlock in the browser's address bar.
For the average Internet user, the research reinforces the importance of being careful on public Wi-Fi networks, where an attacker could plant himself in a position to look at your traffic. For the attacks to work, the attacker must first have access to the victim's network.
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