What is SSL? Easily explained
Related Videos: What is SSL and how does it work? (May 2024).
In times of data leaks and hacker attacks, security in the network is very important. The term SSL is often used here. We will show you what it is and how you can recognize a secure connection.
TLS and SSL: Website encryption in check
The abbreviation "SSL" stands for "Secure Sockets Layer". It is a protocol that ensures that you can transfer data over the Internet with an encrypted connection.
- SSL is actually no longer the current state of the art. In version 3, the protocol was renamed TLS (Transport Layer Security). SSLv3.1 therefore corresponds to TLSv1.1.
- Old implementations like SSLv2 lead to security warnings in many browsers, since several critical security holes were found in the past.
- TLS is used for example at HTTPS. You can recognize an encrypted connection by the green lock next to the URL in your browser.
- You can try it out on Facebook, for example. Open the website and click on the lock. You will then receive more information on encryption. In this case, Facebook uses the latest and very secure version "TLS 1.2" (see screenshot).
In the next practical tip, we will explain the exact difference between SSL and TLS.