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What is an SSL certificate?

August 28, 2018

Digital certificates serve as the backbone of internet security.

An SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate is a digital certificate that authenticates the identity of a website and encrypts information sent to the server using SSL technology. Encryption is the process of scrambling data into an undecipherable format that can only be returned to a readable format with the proper decryption key. When you use an SSL certificate, an encrypted connection is established between a browser or user‘s computer and a server or website. The SSL connection protects sensitive data, such as credit card information, exchanged during each visit, which is called a session, from being intercepted from non-authorized parties.

                                

A certificate serves as an electronic "passport" that establishes an online entity‘s credentials when doing business on the Web. When an Internet user attempts to send confidential information to a Web server, the user‘s browser accesses the server‘s digital certificate and establishes a secure connection.

An SSL certificate contains the following information:

-- The certificate holder‘s name
-- The certificate‘s serial number and expiration date
-- A copy of the certificate holder‘s public key
-- The digital signature of the certificate-issuing authority

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