What is SSL?
SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. It's an Internet security protocol that supports encryption and authentication functions. You've most likely used SSL when shopping on the Internet with a PC or Mac Web browser. SSL is used to protect your personal and credit card information when you "check out" from a shopping session. SSL is also used in email to provide encryption (so your messages can't be intercepted and read by an unauthorized person) and authentication services (to make sure you're really communicating with your enterprise's email server and not some hacker masquerading as the server).

How do I enable SSL email in EIS 2.1?
When you go through new account setup using EIS, you'll see that you have four screens to go through: Basic, Receive, Send, and Security. The Security screen is the one that will allow you to set up an SSL email account. It presents you with security and authentication options for both incoming and outgoing email. It even allows you to review the security certificate of your email server, if you so desire.

The options contained in the Security screen are a little confusing and not very well documented. Luckily there aren't that many options available, and you should be able to get an SSL email account properly set up by simple trail-and-error, if all else fails. The best place to start for security information for your enterprise email server is your PC-based email program. Check the account properties and see if you can correlate them to the options offered in the EIS 2.1 security screen.

In my case, I had to set Incoming Authentication to Best Available, Incoming Security to Alternate Port, Outgoing Authentication to Login and Same as Incoming, and Outgoing Security to None. After that, connecting to my enterprise's email server was a piece of cake!

The Eudora Security screen is shown in Figure C.

FIGURE C

Here's the Eudora Security screen.

Eudora Internet Suite 2.1 finally brings SSL email service to the Palm OS, and it's free, too! What more could you ask for?

Steve Niles is Senior Editor for ZATZ Publishing. He is also an independent filmmaker and freelance writer. For more information, visit http://www.sn-films.com.