What is SSL/TLS?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) are cryptographic protocols designed to provide secure communication over a computer network. They ensure that data transmitted between a web server and a browser (or between other systems) remains encrypted and secure from eavesdropping and tampering.

Key Points:

• SSL was the original protocol developed by Netscape in the mid-1990s to secure internet communications.
• TLS is the successor to SSL and offers improved security and performance. TLS 1.0 was released in 1999, and modern web services now use TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3.
• While SSL is considered outdated and insecure, the term “SSL” is still commonly used to refer to both SSL and TLS certificates.

How It Works:

1. Handshake: When a client (e.g., a browser) connects to a server, they perform an SSL/TLS handshake. This process establishes a secure connection by exchanging encryption keys.
2. Encryption: The data transferred between the server and the client is encrypted using asymmetric (public/private keys) and symmetric encryption.
3. Data Integrity: SSL/TLS also ensures that data is not altered during transmission using message authentication codes (MAC).