Hardening -- encrypted network communications

I read about the system parameter that encrypts network communication from Oracle to a client.  My question has to do with a COTS application and a JDBC connection to it.

If Oracle is encrypting data to the network, does anything in particular have to be done on the client/application side to deal with the encryption?  Currently, the application stores an encrypted application account password in a server config file.  (Still a finding, by the way.). 

Short version of the question:  Is encrypted network communication, with a jdbc thin client application possible, and if so, anything tricky about it?

Thanks again,