HTTPS Connection to ArcGIS Online Map Services Now Available

9/17/09–Users of the free ArcGIS Online map services now have the option to access these services via an HTTPS connection. The use of HTTPS to access the map services encrypts the communication with the server and provides an added level of security for requests. There is some performance overhead to an HTTPS request, so it’s not recommended when a standard HTTP connection is sufficient.

To use an HTTPS connection, ArcGIS users can connect to the free ArcGIS Online map servers through the standard URLs using the HTTPS protocol (i.e., https://services.arcgisonline.com/ and https://server.arcgisonline.com/).

HTTPS is supported through ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Server .NET Web ADF, ArcGIS Server Java Web ADF, and ArcGIS API for Microsoft Silverlight. Support for the ArcGIS API for Flex and the ArcGIS API for JavaScript will be added in the next few weeks with new releases.

Published Thursday, September 17, 2009 11:30 AM by ginger

Comments

 

esri4281 said:

Hi, I'm kinda new to this "map services via HTTPS". I know that HTTPS helps when the communication between server and client carries sensitive information. But since ArcGIS Online map services are free, what the use of accessing services via HTTPS? Can you give me an example of the benefit we get from using this?

Thank.

September 24, 2009 9:08 AM
 

mzurn said:

Use of HTTPS to make a request to the ArcGIS Online map server would be useful for users or organizations that want to prevent other users of the web from eavesdropping on requests they make.  For example, a business might not want other users to know the geographic location of a map request they are making because it could reveal something about their interests or plans.  Use of HTTPS to can be useful in these cases because sends the request through a secure channel so the details of the request aren’t easily accessible by others.

September 24, 2009 8:33 PM
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