What is a Secure Socket Layer (SSL)? How does SSL work? If you are a trader, why is it important that you have SSL on your website? How can you identify if a website has a SSL? Who issues a SSL certificate? What are the details that are included in the certificate?
Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a standard encrypted protocol which is used to establish a link between client and server. SSL helps to send sensitive information such as credit/debit card security numbers, login credentials very securely. SSL works by using two protocols- record protocol and handshake protocol. Once your system undergoes authentication, client and server can establish a shared key to encrypt the data transfers. If your website requires SSL, then your URL will change from HTTP to HTTPS in which ‘S’ indicates that the channel is secured and HTTPS appears in green color. SSL certificates are issued by a Root certificate, preferably 2048 bit certificate. In SSL, website’s domain name and company information are included.
SSL is the short term used for Secure Sockets Layer. It is a protocol in computer networking that handles client authentication, server authentication, and encrypted communication among clients and servers. It uses a combination of symmetric-key and public-key encryption to secure a connection between 2 machines or computers, normally a web server and a client computer communicating over the internet.
SSL operates above the TCP/IP protocol which is in charge for the routing and transport of data across a network and underneath higher level protocols like IMAP and HTTP where it encrypts the data in the application layer of the IP suite. The word or term “sockets” in Secure Sockets Layer refers to the sockets way of transmitting data back and forth in a network between a client and a server application.
TLS is the short term used for Transport Layer Security protocol which actually evolved from SSL. There are 2 sub-protocols included in SSL: the handshake protocol and the record protocol. These 2 sub-protocols let a client to authenticate or validate a server and then set up an encrypted SSL connection.
