Cryptography Questions Medium
The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a cryptographic protocol that provides secure communication over a network, typically the internet. It ensures that the data transmitted between a client and a server remains confidential, integral, and authenticated. SSL uses a combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms to establish a secure connection between the two parties.
When a client initiates a connection to a server using SSL, the server presents its digital certificate, which contains its public key. The client then verifies the authenticity of the certificate and uses the server's public key to encrypt a randomly generated symmetric session key. This session key is then sent to the server, which decrypts it using its private key.
Once the secure connection is established, SSL encrypts all data transmitted between the client and server using the session key. This ensures that even if the data is intercepted by an attacker, it cannot be deciphered without the session key. SSL also provides integrity checks, ensuring that the data has not been tampered with during transmission.
SSL has evolved over time and is now commonly referred to as Transport Layer Security (TLS). TLS versions, such as TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3, have improved security features and address vulnerabilities found in earlier versions of SSL.
Overall, SSL/TLS plays a crucial role in securing online transactions, protecting sensitive information, and establishing trust between clients and servers. It is widely used in various applications, including e-commerce websites, online banking, email services, and many more.