ZyXEL Communications ZyWall USG 50-H Series, User Manual

Page: 526 / 704

Chapter 36 System
ZyWALL USG 50-H User’s Guide
526
36.6.3 HTTPS
You can set the ZyWALL to use HTTP or HTTPS (HTTPS adds security) for web
configurator sessions. Specify which zones allow web configurator access and from which IP
address the access can come.
HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol over Secure Socket Layer, or HTTP over SSL) is a web
protocol that encrypts and decrypts web pages. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is an application-
level protocol that enables secure transactions of data by ensuring confidentiality (an
unauthorized party cannot read the transferred data), authentication (one party can identify the
other party) and data integrity (you know if data has been changed).
It relies upon certificates, public keys, and private keys (see Chapter 34 on page 489 for more
information).
HTTPS on the ZyWALL is used so that you can securely access the ZyWALL using the web
configurator. The SSL protocol specifies that the HTTPS server (the ZyWALL) must always
authenticate itself to the HTTPS client (the computer which requests the HTTPS connection
with the ZyWALL), whereas the HTTPS client only should authenticate itself when the
HTTPS server requires it to do so (select
Authenticate Client Certificates in the WWW
screen). Authenticate Client Certificates is optional and if selected means the HTTPS client
must send the ZyWALL a certificate. You must apply for a certificate for the browser from a
CA that is a trusted CA on the ZyWALL.
Please refer to the following figure.
1
HTTPS connection requests from an SSL-aware web browser go to port 443 (by default)
on the ZyWALL’s web server.
2
HTTP connection requests from a web browser go to port 80 (by default) on the
ZyWALL’s web server.
Figure 419 HTTP/HTTPS Implementation
"
If you disable HTTP in the WWW screen, then the ZyWALL blocks all HTTP
connection attempts.