Overview

Secure Socket Layer

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Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is cryptographic protocol designed to provide communications security over a computer network. Several versions of the protocols find widespread use in applications such as web browsing, email, instant messaging, and voice over IP (VoIP).Websites can use SSL to secure all communications between their servers and web browsers.

Certificates used in the SSL protocol include the name of the domain for which they were issued. Because every person can create any certificate, so-called Public Key Infrastructure. At its top there are Certification Authorities (CA). These are trusted institutions verifying the right to use the domain. The authorized person sends to his / her office his / her public key, domain name and other data necessary to generate the certificate in the form of a Certificate Signing Request (CSR). After passing the checking procedure, the certificate is signed. If the server presents a certificate not signed by the CA, the user will see the appropriate warning in most browsers and e-mail clients during the connection attempt.

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