When I try to reach this page in a browser (Firefox 1.5x), I get a message which might explain the situation. Firefox tells me that it is "unable to verify the identity of secure.books24x7.com as a trusted site. I know I can reach 24x7, as I have a login there.

So my thought is that LWP, using the SSL modules, is running into the same problem. In it's case, my belief is that it's dropping the potentially insecure connection by default.

Taking a quick peek at Crypt::SSLeay, one notes a HTTPS_DEBUG environmental variable that you can use to possibly get more data. That would be my suggested next stop, unless someone here has a better suggestion.