SSL stands for “Secure Sockets Layer” and describes an encryption protocol or a standard technology that is used to secure the Internet connection by encrypting data.
The main objectives of SSL are authentication, encryption and data integrity protection. Authentication involves verifying the identity of a website or server. This is made possible by the use of digital certificates issued by trusted certification authorities. They confirm that the website belongs to the owner of the certificate. Encryption is responsible for data that is exchanged between the user's web browser and the web server. This protects the data traffic. Integrity protection stands for the protection of the transmitted data during transmission. It prevents the data from being manipulated and detects any changes to the data, thereby ensuring data integrity.
SSL has been further developed over time, but has been replaced by the TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocol. Both technologies are used to enable secure and encrypted communication on the internet.