Well, my question is quite simple. When you are connecting with any protocol between two different machines (client and server), it is more secure to encrypt the connection through a SSL tunnel, to prevent anybody from seeing what you are sending.

But I wonder if there is any security concern in connecting to localhost without encryption. For example, when you have a web server with a php webmail app, and the mail server is the same machine: then you are connecting to localhost via IMAP and SMTP.
Is it better to use SSL in such a situation, or it is not necessary at all?

Hmm, no it's not needed, because you use the loopback (127.0.0.1) and in essence never really "leave" the machine...

I'd call the use of SSL for that overkill...unless, perhaps, there is an other "party" on the machine (other users, software, stuff) but...hmm, I dunnow...


Thor