What does SSL Encryption mean?

[The Sauce]

For something like 5$ per month Giganews is offering SSL Encryption added to my service. What, if any, is the benefit to having this? Does it allow you to cruise usenet with better anonymity?

 

[MustISO]

As I understand it, it encrypts what you DL so no one can browse the files you're getting.

 

[The Sauce]

Just to make sure that I understand, it encrypts at the server end and decrypts at the client end, right? So no one in-between can see the content, even your ISP?


BTW, here's the blurb from the site:

"...256-bit SSL encrypted Usenet functionality will require a Giganews SSL enabled account. Encrypted authentication, compressed headers, and NNTP commands are available to every customer regardless of whether 256-bit SSL is enabled on their account."

 

[MustISO]

That's how I understand it. Here's a similar explaination:

"All data passed from our servers to the customer's computer is encrypted. This includes all username, password, articles and posts"

 

[Nothinman]

Yea, it'll be hidden from anyone on the Internet, including your ISP, but Giganews will still have logs of whatever you downloaded.