Chandigarh Blog

July 21, 2005

The Power of SSL

Filed under: Computers & Internet — Unknown Author @ 1:09 am

The Power of SSL
Short for Secure Sockets Layer, a protocol developed by Netscape for transmitting private documents via the Internet. SSL works by using a public key to encrypt data that’s transferred over the SSL connection. Both Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer support SSL, and many Web sites use the protocol to safely transmit confidential information, such as credit card numbers.
SSL technology is embedded in all popular browsers and engages automatically when the user connects to a web server that is SSL-enabled. It’s easy to tell when a server is using SSL security because the address in the URL window of your browser will start with https. The “s” indicates a secure connection.
When your browser connects to an SSL server, it automatically asks the server for a digital Certificate of Authority (CA). This digital certificate positively authenticates the server’s identity to ensure you will not be sending sensitive data to a hacker or imposter site. The browser also makes sure the domain name matches the name on the CA, and that the CA has been generated by a trusted authority and bears a valid digital signature. If all goes well you will not even be aware this handshake has taken place.
However, if there is a glitch with the CA, even if it is simply out of date, your browser will pop up a window to inform you of the exact problem it encountered, allowing you to end the session or continue at your own risk.

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