HTTPS, SSL, TLS - rs-hash/Senior GitHub Wiki

SSL, TLS, and HTTPS are all cryptographic protocols used to ensure secure communication over the internet. They play a crucial role in protecting sensitive data transmitted between a client (such as a web browser) and a server. Let's explain each of these terms:

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer):

  1. SSL is an older cryptographic protocol that was initially developed by Netscape in the 1990s.
  2. It was widely used to provide secure communication over the internet, especially for websites handling sensitive information like login credentials or credit card details.
  3. However, due to security vulnerabilities and weaknesses found in SSL, it has been largely deprecated and replaced by its successor, TLS.

TLS (Transport Layer Security):

  1. TLS is the successor to SSL and was introduced as a more secure and robust cryptographic protocol.
  2. It operates at the transport layer of the internet communication stack and ensures secure data transmission between a client and a server.
  3. TLS uses a combination of symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms to establish a secure connection.
  4. The latest version of TLS at the time of writing is TLS 1.3, which has further improved security and performance over previous versions.

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure):

  1. HTTPS is not a separate protocol but rather a combination of HTTP and TLS (or SSL in older implementations).
  2. It is the secure version of the standard HTTP protocol used for transmitting data between a client's web browser and a web server.
  3. When a website uses HTTPS, it means that the data exchanged between the client and the server is encrypted using TLS or SSL, ensuring that it cannot be intercepted or tampered with by unauthorized parties.

When a user connects to an HTTPS-enabled website, the following steps occur:

  • The client (web browser) sends a request to the server, indicating that it wants to establish a secure connection using HTTPS.

  • The server responds with its SSL/TLS certificate, which contains the server's public key and other details.

  • The client verifies the authenticity of the certificate by checking its validity and whether it is signed by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA).

  • If the certificate is valid, the client and the server perform a handshake to negotiate the encryption algorithm and establish a secure connection.

  • Once the secure connection is established, all data transmitted between the client and the server is encrypted and secure from eavesdropping or tampering.

  • In summary, SSL and TLS are cryptographic protocols used for secure communication, with TLS being the more modern and secure version. HTTPS is the combination of HTTP and TLS (or SSL) and is used to ensure secure data transmission over the internet, especially for sensitive information. Enabling HTTPS on websites is crucial for protecting user data and ensuring a safe browsing experience.