Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) safeguards online communication by encrypting data exchanged between websites and browsers. It utilizes public-key cryptography to verify website legitimacy and protect sensitive information during transmission.

Key Takeaways:

  • SSL encrypts data transfers, shielding them from eavesdroppers.
  • Public-key cryptography ensures secure connections and verifies website identities.
  • SSL certificates authenticate websites and build user trust.

Q: What is SSL? (Secure Sockets Layer)?

A: SSL, or Secure Sockets Layer, is a security protocol that used to be the standard for encrypting data sent over the internet. While SSL itself has been deprecated, it’s still commonly used as a general term to refer to its successor, Transport Layer Security (TLS), which does the same job.

You can easily tell if a website is using SSL/TLS by looking at the address bar in your browser. If it starts with “https://” instead of just “http://”, the connection is secure.

Secure Sockets Layer

The secure sockets layer (SSL) is a security protocol for transmitting data securely over the Internet. Developed by Netscape, it’s a commonly employed standard for verifying site identity and establishing an encrypted connection for the transmission of confidential information. SSL is also used to determine if error-free data was transmitted over the Web. Sockets are the connection endpoints which are used to send data transmissions between a network’s client and server programs. Web addresses with an SSL connection include the https prefix. When the URL starts with https, port number 443 is added to the data packet for a secure connection. A website must be on an SSL-supported server for the protocol to be enabled. Specific site pages can require SSL access.

SSL Certificates on Websites

A browser and a Web server must establish the SSL connection before user data is encrypted. An SSL Certificate is needed when establishing a secure sockets layer connection. These SSL certificates use two-key data encryption. This system includes a public and private key. The private one will be known by the recipient. When a browser connects with a website secured with an SSL, it requests server identification. The server responds with its SSL certificate. The initial steps required for establishing a secure browser-server connection are called the handshake.

S-HTTP, TLS, and SSL Security

The SSL protocol dictates link and data encryption before transmission. Personal information is shared more securely when an online transaction is conducted on an SSL-secured website. Transport Layer Security, or TLS, is another security standard on the Web that uses certificate authentication. TLS evolved from SSL. Secure HTTP is a protocol for data transmission via the Web that sends individual messages securely. Proper protocols support secure online purchases and network security.