We live in a highly technological age. People are constantly connected to their devices, be it computers or mobile phones. We rely on the internet to help us access information instantly and complete basic administrative tasks with ease. However, it is easy to take the technology we have at our disposal for granted and forget that the internet can also be a dangerous place where unscrupulous actors are on hand to take advantage of our nonchalance.

After all, we all readily give out our personal data and payment information on a regular basis when operating online. You just need to look around in the media. You’ll find plenty of horror stories featuring unsuspecting internet users going about their daily business and losing everything due to poor internet security. You can find a job on Jooble.

To prevent yourself from falling victim to malicious online activity, it is wise to familiarize yourself with some basic concepts that can help you stay safe online while also using the internet to capitalize on efficiency and have fun. One key concept worth learning about is SSL Encryption. If the term goes over your head, worry not. We’ll tell you everything about it in this post.

What Is SSL Encryption?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer and refers to a protocol for encrypting and securing communications that take place on the internet. Despite the fact that SSL was replaced by an updated protocol known as TLS ( Transport Layer Security) a while ago, you’ll find that SSL is still the most commonly used term when speaking about this type of technology.

Why Is SSL Encryption So Important? 

Even if it may be too technical a term because you might be fazed by the seemingly complex jargon, SSL encryption is something that’s very important to anyone with a mobile or desktop device that’s connected to Wi-Fi. In a nutshell, SSL encryption allows companies to safeguard people’s confidential information against potential cyber-attacks. Thus, protecting users’ personal details is crucial and should be something every company invests in, irrespective of the industry in which it specializes. To give a plausible example, reputable online casinos – despite offering the sheer experience of fun and entertainment – still have the responsibility to offer a reliable and safe platform to their users.

How Does SSL Encryption Work? 

Essentially, the purpose of SSL is to provide a secure transport-layer connection between two endpoints, namely the server and the client. This connection is typically between a website server and the client browser or a mail server and the client’s email application.

SSL works according to a few essential principles, which you should try to understand:

• Firstly, secure communication begins with what is known TLS handshake, in which the two communicating parties open a secure connection and exchange the public key
• During the TLS handshake, the two parties generate session keys, and the session keys encrypt and decrypt all communications after the TLS handshake
• TLS ensures that the party on the server-side, or the website the user is interacting with, is authentic.
• TLS also ensures that data has not been altered or corrupted since a message authentication code (MAC) is included with all transmissions
• Both HTTP data that users send to a website (by clicking, filling out forms, etc.) and the HTTP data that websites send to users are encrypted. Encrypted data has to be decrypted by the recipient using a key.

SSL Certificates 

To ensure your information is safe when operating online, you should keep an eye on the websites you interact with, be it an online casino or a banking app, to ensure they have an SSL certificate that demonstrates their security credentials.

An SSL certificate is essentially a file installed on the website server. This data file contains the public key and identity of the website owner and other key information pieces. If a website doesn’t have an SSL certificate, its traffic can’t be encrypted with TSL.

Legitimate websites will obtain an SSL certificate from the relevant certificate authority and then install it on their web server. The certificate authority is an independent third party that confirms that the website owner is who they say they are and are operating properly.

 Final Thoughts 

As technology and the internet evolves, so does the creativity of cybercriminals. Therefore, it is important that websites and consumers take advantage of the protective solutions available. When parting with sensitive personal and financial information, it is important that we only browse properly encrypted sites and can guarantee that information transmitted is done so securely, which is what SSL encryption is there for.

From the website owner’s perspective, activating SSL certificates also hold several benefits. Not only is it now easy and quick to obtain the relevant certificates, but having SSL encryption credentials is a clear indication that you take internet security safely and will go a long way when it comes to winning the trust of clients.