While the terms SSL and TLS are used interchangeably, TLS is considered more trustworthy due to its improvements over SSL. TLS serves the same purpose as SSL, providing privacy, authentication, and data integrity over computer networks for various applications such as web browsing, instant messaging, and email. TLS, short for Transport Layer Security, is an enhanced and more secure version of SSL. But there is a difference between the two. Often, the terms TLS and SSL are used interchangeably. This leads to the question: Is SSL the same as TLS? What Is TLS? The difference between HTTPS and HTTP is that HTTPS uses SSL/TLS to provide more security than HTTP alone. It’s important to understand that SSL/TLS is a part of HTTPS together, they are a single protocol. Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) combines Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) with either SSL or TLS. In 1999, an updated protocol called TLS was released and has replaced SSL as the standard security certificate. However, with the rising value of mundane personal information and online browsing habits, cyber criminals began targeting non-commerce sites as well, leading to wider SSL adoption.

SSL encryption was originally created to protect connections between customers and online businesses. This prevents unauthorized third parties from seeing or altering any user data being exchanged across the internet. SSL encryption/decryption is a method by which internet connections are kept secure, whether they be client to client, server to server, or client to server. To better understand SSL, let’s take a look at some history surrounding the technology.

SSL is the security protocol part of HTTPS responsible for the encryption and authentication between various elements operating on a network. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) was developed by Netscape in 1994. To maintain security standards, sites must use a TLS/SSL certificate purchased from a trusted certificate authority. Overall, HTTPS offers a better, safer solution for the client/server model, but it isn’t exempt from attacks. User experience: Websites using HTTPS are marked as secure by browsers, thereby enhancing user experience through trust.SEO: Search engines use it as a ranking signal and give preference to websites configured with HTTPS.Secure communications: HTTPS establishes a secure connection prior to data transfers.Privacy and security: HTTPS prevents websites from being hacked between browser and server.Faster performance: The speed of data transfers increases because HTTPS reduces the data’s size.

Data integrity: Data encryption and authentication between browser and website provide data integrity to prevent cyberattackers from viewing sensitive information.

Google promotes this mindset by offering slight search engine rankings boosts to HTTPS sites, and by displaying “not secure” warnings in Google Chrome browser address bars on non-HTTPS sites. Originally, HTTPS was designed specifically for e-commerce and business websites that regularly handle sensitive information (such as passwords and credit card details), but new recommendations 3 suggest that every website - even ones that are strictly informational - should use HTTPS. The protocol acts as a standard set of rules which make it possible for the servers and clients to communicate and interact. The web operates as a distributed client/server information system, where clients request information from servers using specific protocols. Understanding the relationship between HTTP, TLS, and SSL is crucial before delving into their definitions. This is facilitated by security protocols like TLS and SSL. To establish effective encryption/decryption, there must be an agreement between the sender and receiver. Without this key, intercepted encrypted data appears as meaningless gibberish. The intended recipient, such as a web server, receives a key that provides instructions to decrypt the data. What Is Data Encryption and Authentication?ĭata encryption and authentication aim to protect sensitive information by scrambling it during transmission. Given that we create, upload, and send approximately 2.5 quintillion bytes of data 2 every day, keeping track of all of the information zipping around the internet isn’t easy.Īnd that’s where data encryption and authentication processes like TLS and SSL come in.

Ssl encryption