Definitions and Terms

URL(Universal Resource Locater This is your current "location" on the World Wide Web. It describes the domain, directory and page that you are viewing. You can see your current URL by looking in your "Location" bar on Netscape or your "Address" bar in Internet Explorer. An example of a URL would be https://www.anonymizerproxy.com/3.0/help/terms.shtml which is the page you are currently viewing.

HTTPS (Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol): A web protocol designed by Netscape, which encrypts and decrypts pages requested by the user. HTTPS uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) as a sub-layer beneath its regular HTTP application layer. Certain versions of Netscape may not support this facility.

SSH (Secure SHell): Secure Shell is a program to log into another computer over a network, to execute commands in a remote machine, and to move files from one machine to another. It provides strong authentication and secure communications over unsecure channels. Additionally, SSH provides secure forwarding of arbitrary TCP connections. Anonymizer SSH utilizes the secure forwarding features of SSH to protect user information.

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer): A program layer created by Netscape and implemented beneath the regular HTTP application layer. To ensure the security of your messages, the necessary code is contained in a program layer between an application (e.g. your browser) and the Internet's TCP/IP layers. "Sockets" refers to the method of passing data from client to server, and between program layers of the user's computer. Netscape's SSL uses the public-and-private key encryption system devised by RSA, this system includes a digital certificate.

SSL is an integral part of Netscape's browsers. If a Web site is on a Netscape server, SSL can be enabled and specific Web pages can therefore be identified as requiring SSL access. Downloading Netscape's SSLRef program from the Netscape homepage allows users to utilize SSL with other browsers.

IP (Internet Protocol): The protocol governing the manner in which data is relayed between computers on the Internet. Each computer (host) on the Internet has a unique numerical address, distinct from all other computers. When you send or receive data (such as an e-mail or Web page), the message is divided into packets, each containing the sender and receivers' Internet address. The packages can therefore be relayed through different gateway computers without being mislaid.

COOKIES: Certain websites place cookies on your computer's Hard Drive. A cookie is a text file that records your preferences when using a particular site. Using the Web's Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), each request for a Web page is unique. Subsequently, the Web page server has no memory of previous pages viewed or visited. Cookies allow the server to store its own identity file on the user's computer. The file is stored in a subdirectory of the browser directory.

JAVA & JAVASCRIPT: Java is a programming language designed for the Internet. An object-oriented programming language, it is simpler to use than C++ and can be used to create applications for individual computers or for servers and clients in a network. It can also be used to build applets for Web pages. An applet permits the user to interact with the Web page. Both Netscape Communicator and Microsoft Internet Explorer run Java applets and include Java compilers.

JavaScript was designed by Netscape and is distinct from Java. Although easier to learn than Java, it lacks Java's portability and speed. Similarly, Java's proliferation amongst different browsers and operating systems makes it preferable for the development of Web applications.