What is SSL?
SSL processing (Secure Sockets Layer) is known for securely transmitting data online. Used by every browser and web server, the SSL encryption allows maximum security and reliability. Processors that provide online transactions especially credit card payment transactions need to protect sensitive data from internet fraud.
SSL secure pages are accessed using the “HTTPS” prefix. They also tend to display a security lock icon in the browser’s status bar. SSL accelerators help websites perform better, which otherwise tends to become slow due to major performance strains. This in turn allows better SSL processing.
SSL Processing – how it works?
Browsers using SSL have their own identities known as the digital certificate which are generally used for authenticity. These digital certificates are also used to create public keys. Encrypted server public keys are sent by the browser after initial authentication. The web server decrypts the key and a set of keys are generated that are later used by the browser and server for simultaneous negotiations. After this process, a secure tunnel is created and private transmissions begin.
Problems with SSL
Although it is commonly secure, SSL can create some problems for users:
- Without its accelerators, transactions tend to become slow and SSL processing becomes sluggish
- Customers can close the browser because of slow SSL processing and switch over to another website
- Web servers are unable to handle the load at times
- Sensitive information is not transmitted properly at times and this might lead to a security breach.
However, despite some drawbacks, SSL is the most secure and reliable encryption used by web browsers today.