Lately, you’ve probably been hearing more and more about SSL and TLS in the news. These terms are used by companies like Google to make more people aware of their importance when browsing (I’m talking about you, Chrome).
There is a clear difference between SSL and TLS. Both protocols encrypt data sent over the Internet. These protocols are the target of cryptographers, web security experts, and developers who wish to establish encrypted links between web servers and browsers.
What are SSL and TLS?
A secure connection is encrypted. Encryption protects the data you send and receive so that others cannot read it.
There are two types of encryption. SSL and TLS. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but all provide a secure connection.
SSL, or Secure Socket Layer, is an encryption protocol that provides communication security over a computer network. It protects the integrity and confidentiality of data through the use of encryption.
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TLS, or Transport Layer Security, is a standard for secure communication on the Internet. It allows client/server applications to communicate over a network in a manner designed to prevent eavesdropping and tampering of information.
Why do you need an SSL/TLS certificate?
An SSL/TLS certificate encrypts the data sent between your website and your users. Any information you send is safe from being seen by others. This is critical for protecting sensitive information such as credit card numbers, passwords and other data.
Without an SSL/TLS certificate, anyone on the same network as your website can intercept communications between your server and your users’ web browsers. This might allow them to see all the information being exchanged and even change the way it is sent before it is sent.
The Difference Between SSL and TLS
TLS and SSL provide secure authentication and data transmission over the Internet. But what is the difference between TLS and SSL?Â
| SSL | TLS |
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SSL is an acronym for Secure Sockets Layer.
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TLS is an acronym for Transport Layer Security. |
| Netscape created SSL in 1995 | The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) first developed TLS in 1999. |
| There are three versions. SSL 1.0 SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0. |
There are four versions. TLS 1.0 TLS 1.1 TLS 1.2 TLS 1.3 |
| In all versions of SSL, vulnerabilities were found and all have been deprecated. | Starting March 2020, TLS 1.0 and 1.1 will no longer be supported.In most cases, TLS 1.2 is used. |
| Web servers and clients communicate securely using SSL, an encryption protocol that uses explicit connections. | Using TLS, web servers and clients can communicate securely over an implicit connection. TLS has replaced SSL |
Some other major differences in the work of SSL and TLS are as follows.
information verification
A major difference between SSL and TLS is message authentication. SSL uses a Message Authentication Code (MAC) to ensure that messages have not been tampered with during transmission. TLS does not use MAC for protection, but relies on other means, such as encryption, to prevent tampering.
record agreement
The record protocol is how data is carried over a secure communication channel in TLS and SSL, but it has some minor differences. In TLS, each packet can only take one record, while in SSL, each packet can carry multiple records (although this is rarely enforced).
In addition, some features in TLS’s record protocol are not included in SSL, such as compression and padding options.
password suite
TLS supports various cipher suites, which are algorithms used for encryption and decryption. The most famous cipher suite is the ephemeral Diffie-Hellman (DHE) key exchange based on elliptic curves, which provides perfect forward secrecy (PFS) and can be used for any key length. Some other cipher suites also support PFS, but are less widely used. SSL supports only one cipher suite with PFS, which uses 1024-bit RSA keys.
Reminder
The SSL protocol uses alert messages to notify clients or servers of specific errors that occur during communications. The TLS protocol does not have any corresponding mechanism.
In short, SSL is no more, and TLS is the new term for the obsolete SSL protocol, the encryption standard everyone is using these days. Although TLS is technically more accurate, SSL is widely used.
Why Did TLS replace SSL?
To protect online applications or data in transit from eavesdropping and tampering, TLS encryption is now a routine procedure. TLS has been vulnerable to vulnerabilities like Crime and Heartbleed in 2012 and 2014. Although it shows significant improvements in efficiency and security, it is unrealistic to consider it the most secure protocol.
Christopher Allen and Tim Dierks of Consensus Development created the TLS 1.0 protocol, an improvement over SSL 3.0.
While the name change means there’s a substantial difference between the two, there aren’t many.
SSL is being replaced by TLS, and virtually all versions of SSL are considered obsolete due to documented security flaws. An example is Google Chrome, which stopped using SSL 3.0 in 2014. Most contemporary online browsers don’t support SSL at all.
Why replace your SSL certificate with a TLS certificate?
The main reason to replace your existing SSL certificate with a new TLS certificate is that they are not compatible with each other, they use different protocols and algorithms. This means that any browser or client application using one protocol will not be able to securely connect to a server using another protocol unless both parties make explicit configuration changes.
final words
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If you compare, both SSL and TLS certificates provide the same encryption of data streams. An improved and more secure version of SSL is TLS. However, SSL certificates that are widely available online serve the same function of securing a website.
In fact, they all offer an HTTPS address bar, which has been recognized as a distinguishing feature of online security. SSL and TLS, on the other hand, secure your website from unauthorized use.