The history of SSL

The development of SSL (Secure Socket Layer) has its roots in the beginnings of the Internet. Netscape wanted to create a secure connection between its browser and the server of the website it was connecting to. Even then, Netscape’s developers saw that the Internet would need strong encryption algorithms to ensure that sensitive data, such as credit card numbers, were protected.

Netscape also understood that the SSL encryption system it was using must be compatible with the existing AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). SSL is now part of the security protocol known as Transport Layer Security.

Today, SSL is the industry standard encryption protocol and is used by most commercial websites. Using 128-bit encryption ensures that the data flow from a browser to the server is completely protected.

SSL takes advantage of public key and symmetric key encryption technologies. When a secure connection is initiated, the browser and server contact each other with a combination of public key and symmetric key protocols. Once the secure connection has been established, the browser and server will communicate using symmetric key encryption.

From the user’s point of view, all they see is the padlock icon appearing in their browser and the web address of the server their browser has contacted changing from ‘http’ to ‘https’. At the end of the session, the symmetric keys are discarded.
 

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