What is an SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates the identity of a Web site and encrypts information sent to the server using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. Encryption is the process of scrambling data into an undecipherable format that can only be returned to a readable format with the proper decryption key. A certificate serves as an electronic “passport” that establishes an online entity’s credentials when doing business on the Web. When an Internet user attempts to send confidential information to a Web server, the user’s browser accesses the server’s digital certificate and establishes a secure connection.
An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates the identity of a website and encrypts information that is sent to the server using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology. A certificate serves as an electronic “passport” that establishes an online entity’s credentials when doing business on the Web. When an Internet user attempts to send confidential information to a Web server, the user’s browser accesses the server’s digital certificate and establishes a secure connection.
The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a commonly used protocol for managing the security of a message transmission on the Internet. SSL uses a program layer located between the Internet’s Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and Transport Control Protocol (TCP) layers. The “sockets” part of the term refers to the sockets method of passing data back and forth between a client and a server program in a network or between program layers in the same computer. SSL uses the public-and-private key encryption system from RSA. With an SSL Web Server Certificate on your Web site, any information sent to your Web server is encrypted or scrambled, making it impossible to intercept or steal. It also displays the identity of the Web site owner, and the name of the independent authority who verified that identity, such as GeoTrust or RapidSSL.
A Web Server Certificate permits securer communication between a client and a server (say a customer’s browser and a web retailer’s server) or two servers (any servers who want to “talk” securely amongst themselves). Simply stated, a web-certificate is a digital document that has unique codes to identify the holder of the certificate to the person accessing the site.
