Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Unleashed

Securing SharePoint Traffic with SSL Encryption

By default, SharePoint is configured to use Integrated Windows authentication. This form of authentication works fine if access to the server is over a trusted internal network, but is not feasible for access over the Internet.

Because of this limitation, a form of authentication that can be sent across the Internet must be used. This effectively limits the SharePoint server to using Basic Authentication, which is supported by most web browsers and devices. The problem with Basic Authentication, however, is that the username and password that the user sends is effectively sent in clear text and can be intercepted and stolen in transit. In addition, documents and other confidential information are ...