
What does SSL do?
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a security protocol that helps protect data sent over the internet. It is used to secure communications between two computers, such as a web server and a web browser, or a mail server and a mail client. It is also used to secure data stored on a server, such as a database.
The most frequently used fields for this article include:
- Encryption: SSL uses encryption to protect data from being intercepted by third parties. It also helps to ensure that the data is not modified in transit.
- Authentication: SSL also provides authentication, which helps to ensure that the data is coming from a trusted source.
- Integrity: SSL also helps to ensure the integrity of the data, which means that the data is not corrupted or changed in transit.
In addition to these three fields, there are several technologies related to SSL. These include TLS (Transport Layer Security), which is an updated version of SSL, and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which is used to manage digital certificates. PKI is used to authenticate the identity of a server or client, and to ensure that the data is not modified in transit.