Security Guide for Siebel Business Applications > Communications and Data Encryption > Configuring Secure Communications >

Configuring Encryption for Web Clients

To use encryption, both the server and the client must enforce encryption in their connection parameters. If these parameters do not match, connection errors will occur.

Siebel Business Applications support the following types of clients:

• Siebel Web Client. This client runs in a standard browser from the client computer and does not require any additional persistent software installed on the client.

  This type of client uses parameters stored in the Siebel Gateway Name Server for the Siebel Server, and uses configuration files located on the SWSE and on the Siebel Server. Encryption settings you make to the SWSE or Siebel Server are automatically recognized by this Web Client.

  For more information, see Configuring Encryption for Siebel Enterprise and SWSE.

• Siebel Mobile Web Client. This client is designed for local data access, without the need to be connected to a server. Periodically, the client must access the Siebel Remote server using a modem, WAN, LAN or other network to synchronize data.

  For information on setting encryption for transmissions between Mobile Web Client and Siebel Remote server, see Configuring Encryption for Mobile Web Client Synchronization. See also Siebel Remote and Replication Manager Administration Guide.

• Siebel Developer Web Client. This client connects directly to the Siebel Database for all data access. It does not store any Siebel data locally. With the exception of the database, all layers of the Siebel Business Applications architecture reside on the user's personal computer.

• Siebel Wireless Client. A wireless-enabled mobile client with a Web browser and Internet service. For more information, see Siebel Wireless Administration Guide.

• Siebel Handheld Client. A streamlined version of the Siebel Mobile Web Client. Documentation for particular Siebel products using the Siebel Handheld client can be found on Siebel Bookshelf.

For more information about some of the Siebel client types described above, see also Deployment Planning Guide.

About Session Cookies

The AOM in the Siebel Server communicates with the Siebel Web Client through the Web server using TCP/IP protocol. An independent session is established to serve incoming connection requests from each client. Siebel Business Applications use session cookies to track the session state.

These session cookies persist only within the browser session and are deleted when the browser exits or the user logs off. A session cookie attaches requests and logoff operations to the user session that started at the login page.

Instead of storing the session ID in clear text in the client's browser, Siebel Business Applications create an encrypted session ID and attach an encryption key index to the encrypted session ID. Session cookie encryption uses a 56-bit key default.

In Siebel Remote, the encryption algorithm and key exchange are the same as for session-based components.

Session cookie encryption prevents session spoofing (deriving a valid session ID from an invalid session ID).

For more information about session cookies, see Cookies and Siebel Business Applications.