HTTP vs HTTPS performance

Question

Are there any major differences in performance between http and https? I seem to recall reading that HTTPS can be a fifth as fast as HTTP. Is this valid with the current g

Answer 1

Here's a great article (a little bit old, but still great) on SSL handshake latency. Helped me identifying SSL as the main cause of slowness for clients who were using my app through slow Internet connections:

http://www.semicomplete.com/blog/geekery/ssl-latency.html