http download: 90 seconds, https download >= 45 min
Those were the stats for the "media servers" at the trading firm where I used to work. There was a bug in that version of apache and after a fresh restart the SSL tax was not that high, but the longer it was left running the higher the tax got. Times for the http download (of our flagship trading platform) remained flat, but https times tracked asymptotically toward infinity. Clearly, there was a bug; a configuration issue; something quite wrong. But the point is (and one folks often forget) is that encryption / decryption is not free. It may well be worth it (I for one will not enter private info on an http site, e.g.) but it's not free.
A/C since I want to remain on good terms with my old co-workers.... :-)
Biting the hand that feeds IT
