What is SSL Certificate?(Pankaj Singh)

What is SSL Certificate?

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that is used to establish a secure and encrypted connection between a web server and a web browser. It is a standard security protocol used to ensure that sensitive information, such as personal details and credit card numbers, is transmitted securely over the internet.

An SSL certificate contains information about the identity of the website and the organization that operates it. It also includes a public key and a private key, which are used to encrypt and decrypt the data that is transmitted between the web server and the web browser. The public key is used to encrypt the data, and the private key is used to decrypt it.

When a user visits a website that has an SSL certificate, their web browser will establish a secure connection with the web server. The web browser will check the SSL certificate to ensure that it is valid and that the website is legitimate. If the certificate is valid, the web browser will display a padlock icon in the address bar and the website's URL will begin with "https" instead of "http".

An SSL certificate is issued by a trusted third-party organization called a certificate authority (CA). The CA verifies the identity of the website and the organization that operates it before issuing the certificate. This ensures that the website and the organization are who they claim to be, and that the SSL certificate is legitimate.

How do SSL certificates work?

SSL certificates work by creating a secure connection between a website and a user's browser. When a user visits a website that has an SSL certificate, their browser will establish a secure connection with the website's server using a process called SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security). This process involves a series of steps to authenticate the website and encrypt the data that is being transmitted between the browser and the server.

First, the browser will request the SSL certificate from the website's server. The server will then provide the certificate, which contains information about the website's identity and the public key used for encryption. The browser will then verify the certificate's authenticity using a trusted third-party certificate authority (CA). Once the certificate is verified, the browser will use the public key to encrypt the data being transmitted between the browser and the server.

The server will then use its private key to decrypt the data, ensuring that the data remains secure and private. This process creates a secure connection between the browser and the Segoe UI server, and allows users to securely transmit sensitive information such as credit card numbers and personalinformation. Overall, SSL certificates provide a level of security and trust for users visiting a website, and are essential for e-commerce and other sensitive online transactions.

When a website is secured by an SSL certificate, the acronym HTTPS (which stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) appears in the URL. Without an SSL certificate, only the letters HTTP – i.e., without the S for Secure – will appear. A padlock icon will also display in the URL address bar. This signals trust and provides reassurance to those visiting the website.

To view an SSL certificate's details, you can click on the padlock symbol located within the browser bar. Details typically included within SSL certificates include:

·        The domain name that the certificate was issued for

·        Which person, organization, or device it was issued to

·        Which Certificate Authority issued it

·        The Certificate Authority's digital signature

·        Associated subdomains

·        Issue date of the certificate

·        The expiry date of the certificate.