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Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is an encryption-based security protocol that establishes a secure network between a web server and a browser. You will see this on all the websites. Even if you don’t know about SSL, seeing this in the website’s URL creates trust between you and the third party.
It is an industry-standard certificate that all websites need to incorporate. SSL certificate ensures secure online transactions and keeps the user information private. Without the SSL certificate, the hacker can easily acquire all the sensitive information with ease.
Keep reading this article to find more information on SSL in simple words.
SSL
Creating a trusted environment is very important for any kind of business. If customers don’t feel that their data is private and safe they won’t make any transaction or interact with your website.
SSL which stands for Secure Sockets Layer creates that trust between the business and the customers. Installing an SSL certificate on your website is a mandatory protocol.
It is a standard internet technology that creates an encrypted link between a server and a client – a website and a browser. So, instead of the data being sent to the server and client in plain language, SSL converts it into a coding language. This prevents the hacker from using the information for their personal use.
Netscape developed this technology in 1995 to ensure that privacy and authentication of the data are maintained over the internet. A website that uses SSL will have ‘HTTPs’ in its URL instead of ‘HTTP’.
Due to SSL certificates, sensitive information like credit card numbers, login credentials, passwords are transmitted securely.
SSL uses two keys: a public key and a private key to establish a secure connection between the devices operating over a TCP/IP network. Things that are encrypted using the public key can be decrypted with the private key and vice versa. SSL is now upgraded to TLS.
Importance of SSL
Imagine ordering your favourite PlayStation from an online e-commerce website. You enter your name, address, mobile number and credit card details on the website and order the console.
All that data is transmitted across the internet in plain language. This means that your credit card number can be easily seen by the hacker. This was a big problem and it would have stopped the growth of the e-commerce business.
To solve this problem and to make sure everything on the internet is safe and secure SSL was created.
SSL would encrypt the data and make sure that it only reaches the e-commerce website and not to the imposter. So, even if the hacker disrupts the system he/she won’t be able to see the actual credit card number.
SSL stops various kinds of cybercrimes. Since it authenticates web servers attackers won’t be able to make any fake website to steal data from people.
Obtaining an SSL Certificate
The company gets the SSL certificate from a trusted certificate authority (CA) like Comodo SSL or DigiCert. The main aim of this certificate is to ensure that the user and the web browser are interacting with the desired web server and not with a hacker.
The certificate has all the following details:
Name of the person and organization
The certificate thumbprint
Name of the domain under which it was issued for
Subdomains
Name of the issuing CA
Digital signature of the CA
Certificate’s issue date and expiration date
Public key
Private key
Working of SSL
First SSL encrypts the transmitted data to ensure that privacy is maintained. So, the hackers trying to see the data will see the codes and not the actual text.
Then the authentication process named handshake starts where it ensures that both the devices are really who they claim to be.
To provide data integrity the data is digitally signed. This process ensures that the data is not tampered with before reaching the actual recipient.
Types of SSL Certificates
Single Domain: This type of SSL certificate is only used in one domain.
Wildcard: This also is used in single Domains but it applies to the subdomains as well.
Multi-domain: This type of SSL certificate can be applied to multiple unrelated domains. SSL certificates also come with different validations levels:
Domain Validation: This is the cheapest and it proves that the business controls the domain
Organization Validation: In this, the CA directly contacts the person who is requesting the certificate
Extended Validation: This ensures that the whole background check of the organisation is done before the SSL certificate is issued
SSL vs TLS
SSL was developed in the 1990s as a proprietary protocol that helped Netscape browser clients to use HTTP to communicate securely. The IETF standardized the SSL protocol through an open process.
SSL has the POODLE (Padding Oracle On Downgraded Legacy Encryption) flaw which forces SSL to ignore the padding bytes when running in cypher block chaining mode.
Since a lot of attacks have been made on SSL it faced a lot of issues in the beginning. Even though it promised to provide a secure network it wasn’t able to establish a secure network. Although TLS was not that vulnerable compared to SSL and that’s why it is much safer than SSL.
Conclusion
Till now you must have understood the importance of having an SSL certificate on one’s website. If you also don’t have the SSL certificate on your website make sure you install one as soon as possible.
You can easily get the SSL certificate from numerous web hosting websites like GoDaddy, BlueHost and many more.
It is highly recommended that you don’t enter any personal details on a website that doesn’t have the SSL certificate. Immediately close the website and make sure that you never visit the website again.
