Groupwise Web and Password Security

Posted on May 9th, 2007 in Security by Eric B.

There are currently two ways (web addresses) for getting to the Groupwise Web client: gwweb.smith.edu and gwwebs.smith.edu (notice the “s” on gwweb - it stands for secure!). While they both work fine, you’ll notice three important differences at gwwebs.smith.edu.

  1. It is somewhat slower to bring up the initial page
  2. It will ask you to accept a “certificate” before you connect the first time (Tell it to accept “permanently”)
  3. Your web browser will show that you have a “secure connection” (just like purchasing an item on Amazon.com)

What a secure connection (or SSL) means to you is that your connection is encrypted. This means your username and password are encrypted before leaving your computer and flying across the internet where any “bad guy” could be sniffing for them.

In the future, ONLY encrypted connections will be allowed to Groupwise Web, but right now, it’s your choice. Because we STRONGLY feel that passing your password in clear text is a VERY BAD IDEA, we are changing the link on the Science Center home page to go to the secure connection. It’s a minor inconvenience that could protect the security of everything you do on the internet.

If you’ve got questions, let us know!

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