What is an SSL Certificate? Why is it Important?

The same goes for software developers who wish to use it for code or document signing purposes. In summary, SSL certificates fundamentally work using a blend of asymmetric cryptography and symmetric cryptography for communications over the internet. There are also other infrastructures involved in achieving SSL communication in enterprises, known as Public Key Infrastructures. A successful handshake takes place behind the client’s browser or application, instantly and automatically — without disturbing the client user experience. However, A failed handshake triggers the termination of the connection, usually preceded by an alert message in the client’s browser.

ssl certificate meaning

An SSL certificate (also known as a TLS or SSL/TLS certificate) is a digital document that binds the identity of a website to a cryptographic key pair consisting of a public key and a private key. The public key, included in the certificate, allows a web browser to initiate an encrypted communication session with a web server via the TLS and HTTPS protocols. The private key is kept secure on the server, and is used to digitally sign web pages and other documents (such as images and JavaScript files). An SSL certificate also includes identifying information about a website, including its domain name and, optionally, identifying information about the site’s owner.

Enterprise Benefits of Using an SSL Certificate

Encryption means scrambling the original message so that it can only be decrypted by the intended recipient. For example, you change the word cat to ecv by moving every letter forward in the alphabet by two places. The recipient knows the rule (or key) and reverses each letter by two places to read the actual word. SSL/TLS encryption builds on this concept by using public key cryptography, with two different keys to encrypt and decrypt a message. The certificate authority verifies the certificate and authenticates both parties before communication commences. This type of certificate has the highest level of security and is a must-have for websites that handle sensitive information.

For transport layer security (TLS)/SSL encryption to work, devices trying to interface with the website need the site’s public key, which identifies the server hosting the site. This is an essential element What Is an SSL Certificate of the handshake that takes place when your browser connects with a site with TLS/SSL. It is a protocol or communication rule that allows computer systems to talk to each other on the internet safely.

What Are The Benefits of SSL Certificate and Why You Need It?

An SSL Certificate helps you to meet this requirement as it encrypts all the communication between your website and visitors. The SSL protocol has always been used to encrypt and secure transmitted data. Each time a new and more secure version was released, only the version number was altered to reflect the change (e.g., SSLv2.0). However, when the time came to update from SSLv3.0, instead of calling the new version SSLv4.0, it was renamed TLSv1.0.

ssl certificate meaning

A hacker then has a far easier time acquiring the information of someone using your website if they find a way to “listen in” on the “conversation” between your site and one of its visitors. This kind of eavesdropping is an important consideration, particularly because so many users opt to connect to business sites while signed in to public networks with https://deveducation.com/ little or no security. An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that is used to verify the identity of a website and to encrypt information sent to and from the site. SSL certificates are issued by certificate authorities (CAs), which are organizations that have been verified by a trusted third party (such as a web browser) to issue certificates.