The SSL V3 Protocol

The secure socket layer (SSL) was developed by Netscape Communications Corporation as part of its hypertext transfer protocols, secure (HTTPS) protocols. It is widely used for e-commerce, providing security-enabled connections for transferring sensitive data such as credit card details.

Function

• SSL integrates security features into the process of establishing a connection. The process of negotiating session parameters includes authentication procedures and negotiation of encryption ciphers.

Features

• SSL implements security by two methods. One is server authentication. This is based on a system of certificates. The server must prove its identity by sending a reference to a certificate issued by a certificate authority (CA). The credibility of the certificate relies on the reputation of the certificate authority. The client confirms the validity of the certificate with the CA before establishing the connection. SSL also uses public key encryption.

Development

• SSL developed as far as Version 3. After that, it was redefined as transport layer security (TLS). Although HTTPS now includes TLS, it is often mistakenly referred to as SSL.