SSL/TLS
TLS provides transport-layer encryption, authentication, and integrity; HTTPS is HTTP over TLS, defending against eavesdropping, tampering, and forgery.
Purpose
Encrypt transport to protect data confidentiality and integrity—the foundation of web security.
Mechanism
Handshake: negotiates TLS version and cipher suites, verifies certificates, exchanges keys. Record layer: encrypts application data. TLS 1.3 simplifies the handshake (1-RTT/0-RTT). Let's Encrypt automates free certificates. HSTS enforces HTTPS.
Use cases
- Transport encryption
- HTTPS
- Certificate management