Security Now! Podcasts

Security Now! is an excellent weekly podcast focusing on all facets of computer security. Here are a few selected episodes that deal directly with web security. In addition to the audio podcast itself, transcripts are made available for every episode here. You may also view the full catalog of back episodes on that page, there is a lot of great content there!

Note: the beginning of each show features errata and security news with discussion of the show's topic usually starting between 15 and 20 minutes in. While you can skip this intro material I highly recommend you listen, I guarantee you'll learn something.

• The SSL/TLS Protocol : Leo and I plow into the detailed operation of the Internet's most-used security protocol, originally called "SSL" and now evolved into "TLS." The security of this crucial protocol protects all of our online logins, financial transactions, and pretty much everything else.
• The Fundamentally Broken Browser Model : Alex and I discuss the serious security problems created by the way SSL connections are specified by non-secured web pages, and how easily a “man in the middle” attack can compromise this amazingly weak web-based security.
• Badly Broken Browsing : In preparation for episode #221's guest, John Graham-Cumming, who will take us on a detailed walk-through of the JavaScript language's security problems, this week Leo and I examine the sad and badly broken state of web browsing in general, and how we got to where we are.
• The Evercookie : After reviewing the past week's security updates and news, Steve and Leo examine Samy Kamkar's (http://samy.pl/evercookie/) clever suite of Javascript Hacks, collectively used to create an "Evercookie" for tagging web browsers in a fashion that's extremely difficult to shake off.
• Firesheep : After catching up with a very busy week of security-related news and events, Steve and Leo celebrate the game-changing creation and release of "Firesheep", an add-on for the Firefox web browser which makes online web session hijacking as easy as it could possibly be. This WILL change the world for the better.

And many, many more

These aren't an assignment, but