Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a security protocol used to encrypt data transmitted over the internet. It is designed to prevent unauthorized parties from intercepting and reading the data as it is transmitted between two devices.
SSL works by establishing an encrypted connection between a client and a server. When a client wants to communicate with a server using SSL, it sends a request to the server to initiate the connection. The server responds by sending a digital certificate containing its public key. The client verifies the certificate and, if it is valid, generates a secret key and sends it to the server encrypted using the server's public key. The server decrypts the key using its private key and both the client and the server use the shared secret key to encrypt and decrypt the data transmitted between them.
SSL is commonly used to secure communication between a web browser and a web server, and is indicated by a "https" prefix in the URL of the website. It is also used to secure other types of network communication, such as email and file transfer.
SSL has been replaced by a newer security protocol called Transport Layer Security (TLS). However, the term "SSL" is still commonly used to refer to both SSL and TLS.
See Also
- IT Strategy (Information Technology Strategy)
- IT Governance
- Enterprise Architecture
- Chief Information Officer (CIO)
- IT Sourcing (Information Technology Sourcing)
- IT Operations (Information Technology Operations)
- E-Strategy