Using a Squid proxy with HTTPS

Squid in the Middle

Article from Issue 143/2012
Author(s):

How do you monitor the network when your client systems are connecting to secure web servers through HTTPS? We’ll show you how to keep watch using the Squid proxy server and share some inventive certificate tricks.

Network- and host-based intrusion detection is pretty much a mandatory requirement now if you want to keep your network under control. Back in the good old days, when your Internet connection was a dial-up link (for the entire company), you could just keep software up to date, install a firewall, and call it a day.

Since then, things have changed significantly. Almost all computers are now attached to the Internet all the time. Most of these computers are behind firewalls and NAT-based systems – so they can use the Internet, but the Internet can’t initiate connections to them. This strategy worked pretty well until clients started using prodigious amounts of data from the Internet, especially the World Wide Web and email. Now, to add insult to injury, almost all web and email clients include JavaScript support and newer technologies like HTML5 and web sockets.

Buy this article as PDF

Download Article PDF now with Express Checkout
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

SINGLE ISSUES
Print Issues
Digital Issues
SUBSCRIPTIONS
Print Subscriptions
Digital Subscriptions

Related content

  • Security Lessons – Squid Filtering

    Kurt describes how to use Squid's ACLs and ICAP when you want to limit Internet access, for whatever reason.

    more »
  • Privoxy

    Add-on ad blockers can help mitigate the degradation of your browsing experience, but sometimes you need to bring stronger weapons. A filtering web proxy can scrub web traffic to eliminate unwanted ads and scripts.

    more »
  • Squid at Home

    Are your children wearing out their eyeballs on the Internet? Squid will help you impose some time limits and filter out inappropriate content.

    more »
  • Squid Bridge

    Caching proxies remember web pages and serve them up locally, saving both money and time. The most intelligent members of this family also remove dangerous content and provide transparent bridging.

    more »
  • Squid proxy server

    A proxy server provides safer and more efficient surfing. Although commercial proxy solutions are available, all you really need is Linux and an old PC in the attic.

    more »
comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Digital Autonomy

• How the Fediverse Found Parts for Its Platforms
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News

Tag Cloud

Administration Community Desktop Events Hardware Linux Mobile Programming Security Software Ubuntu Web Development Windows free software open source