Comprehensive Guide to Transport Layer Security (TLS) & Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) are cryptographic protocols designed to provide a secure communication over a network. They play a crucial role in ensuring data privacy and integrity between two communicating applications.
Important:
These protocols establish an encrypted link between a web server and a browser, ensuring that all data passed between them remains private and integral. It is thus crucial for preventing eavesdropping and tampering with internet communication.
Working:
SSL and TLS work in slightly different ways but generally involve two steps: the handshake and the data transfer. The handshake process establishes a secure connection, including authenticating the server and client and generating a shared secret key for data encryption. The data transfer stage involves the actual encrypted communication.
Exam Tips:
1. Understand the purpose of SSL/TLS, the difference between them, and their role in establishing secure internet communication.
2. Know the process of handshake and data transfer in SSL/TLS.
3. Be aware that TLS is the updated and more secure version of SSL.
Note: In exams, questions on TLS/SSL may revolve around understanding these elements and applying them in scenarios where secure communication is required.