Secure Sockets Layer (SSL): How It Works
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology protects your Web site and makes it easy for your Web site visitors to trust you in three essential ways:
1: An SSL Certificate enables encryption of sensitive information during online transactions.
2: Each SSL Certificate contains unique, authenticated information about the certificate owner.
3. A Certificate Authority verifies the identity of the certificate owner when it is issued.
You need SSL if...
- you have an online store or accept online orders and credit cards
- you offer a login or sign in on your site
- you process sensitive data such as address, birth date, license, or ID numbers
- you need to comply with privacy and security requirements
- you value privacy and expect others to trust you.
How Encryption Works
Each SSL Certificate consists of a public key and a private key. The public key is used to encrypt information and the private key is used to decipher it. When a Web browser points to a secured domain, a Secure Sockets Layer handshake authenticates the server (Web site) and the client (Web browser). An encryption method is established with a unique session key and secure transmission can begin. True 128-bit SSL Certificates enable every site visitor to experience the strongest SSL encryption available to them.
How Authentication Works
Imagine receiving an envelope with no return address and a form asking for your bank account number. Every SSL Certificate is created for a particular server in a specific domain for a verified business entity. When the SSL handshake occurs, the browser requires authentication information from the server. By clicking the closed padlock in the browser window or certain SSL trust marks (such as the VeriSign SecuredŽ Seal), the Web site visitor sees the authenticated organization name. In high-security browsers, the authenticated organization name is prominently displayed and the address bar turns green when an Extended Validation SSL Certificate is detected. If the information does not match or the certificate has expired, the browser displays an error message or warning.