Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) - An Introduction
In the OSI model a reference model for
effective communication we find a layer named transport layer. Just like a
physical layer (where viruses attack normally) transport layer also need some
sort of security because transport layer is responsible for transmission of
data.
So what actually makes transport layer to make the transmission
secure and to protect the data from any intruder.
Have you ever noticed that when you visit
some website it starts with http:// and whenever you visit some sort of money transfer and
other important websites you find https:// point is clear https means a secure communication it means
that your data that transfer from this connection secure by using some
cryptography techniques.
SSL or secure sockets layer are cryptographic protocols that
provide secure communication over the Internet. So what actually a cryptography
is " Cryptography is a science of secrete communication".
SSL uses two keys to encrypt data − a public key known to everyone
and a private or secret key known only to the recipient of the
message.
HTTP VS
HTTPS
The above picture shows that when ALICE sends the confidential information over insecure channel
that there is a chance to sniff this confidential information (it might be a
credit card information or may be your password etc). So the point is that an
attacker can easily sniff this data and can easily read, understand and use for
illegal activities because the data transfer in plain text regardless of any
encryption it is simply a HTTP connection.
Now consider the second picture when an user send some sort of
information over secure channel means if someone using HTTPS than the data
first encrypt by using cryptography technique than it sends over channel, so in
this case if someone sniff this data than he/she not able to understand
it.
The above broad picture has clearly shows that HTTPS is secure,
but how HTTPS is secure? Because it uses secure sockets layer (SSL). A website
can implement HTTPS by purchasing an SSL Certificate.
Where there's a will there's a way. By following this amazing quote some researcher has discovered some ways to crack/hack SSL certificate too. To hack SSL certificate we will post an article later on.
Where there's a will there's a way. By following this amazing quote some researcher has discovered some ways to crack/hack SSL certificate too. To hack SSL certificate we will post an article later on.
