Understanding SSL certificates
This lesson explores SSL certificates.
We'll cover the following...
What are SSL certificates?
When a user accesses a website, data is transferred between the client (browser) and the server (website). This data is not safe to send in the clear because it may be read by an attacker. This is a problem if we are sending sensitive data like credit card details, passwords, or personal information over the Internet.
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates create an encrypted environment between a client and a server. A Secure Sockets Layer certificate (SSL certificate) is a small data file installed on a Web server that allows for a secure connection between the server and a web browser.
The certificate is base64 encoded and contains the following information:
- Name of the entity to which the certificate was issued.
- The public key required for encryption and digital signature verification.
- The digital signature created with the private key of the certificate issuer.
SSL is a protocol that is used to secure the HTTP. SSL is deprecated now and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol is used instead. Most SSL certificates today also support the Transport Layer Security (TLS) ...