Securing Your Website Using Ssl

SSL provides a security “handshake” in which the client and server computers exchange a brief burst of messages. In those messages, the client and server agree on the level of security to be used for exchange of digital certificates and other tasks. Each computer identifies the other. After identification, SSL encrypts and decrypts information flowing between the two computers. This means that information in both the HTTP request and any HTTP response is encrypted and HTTP access authorization

In short, all communication between SSL-enabled clients and servers is encoded. When SSL encodes everything flowing between the client and server, an eavesdropper receives only unintelligible information.

How SSL works with an exchange between a browser (SSL client) and a Web server (SSL server):

When a client browser sends a request message to a server’s secure Web site, the server sends a hello request to the browser (client). The browser responds with a client hello.

Next, the browser asks the server for a digital certificate as a proof of identity. In response, the server sends to the browser a certificate signed by a recognized certification authority.

The browser checks the serial number and certificate fingerprint on the server certificate against the public key of the CA stored within the browser. Once the CA’s public key is verified, the endorsement is verified. That action authenticates the Web server. sends its client certificate an encrypted private session key to be used. When the server receives this information, it initiates the session established as secure, request messages from the browser are accepted by the Web server, which sends the necessary responses. In this secure session, the browser user can make purchases, pay bills, or trade securities without worrying about threats to the security of the information passing between the two computers.

From this point on, public-key encryption is no longer used. Instead, only private-key encryption is used When the session ends, the session key is discarded. Its important to secure your website with ssl in order to keep your data safe and ensure that your customers can trust the website