SSL / TLS

(Secure Sockets Layer /Transport Layer Security )

Most of us have never heard of an SSL or TLS certificate until it expires and everyone has a panic trying to remember who looks after the SSL. (At Modular we get around this by popping all that info in a handy shared Wiki)

Transport Layer Security is the contemporary term for what was formerly known as the Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL.

For the internet to function properly, computers and software need to be able to send messages securely. Transport Layer Security, or TLS, is a cryptographic protocol that enables them to do this. It is used very widely for email, instant messaging, and many other digital communications. 

It is an essential technology for enabling secure communications through any computer network.  You could think of Transport Layer Security as like a digital postbox: we put our letters in the postbox, which acts as a secure environment from which they can be collected and sent off to their recipients. TLS does a similar job in digital systems. 

At a technical level, Transport Layer Security is very important in the authentication of the websites we access, and also in protecting the privacy of exchanged data between individual computers and web servers whilst in transit. It is an essential tool for the operation of another protocol called Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure, or HTTPS, which has become the most common data transfer protocol for web browsers in recent years, replacing the less secure HTTP.

At Modular, we believe anyone can understand how websites, apps, and other digital technologies work if we talk about tech in plain English. The core technologies that underpin the World Wide Web can actually be quite fascinating if we switch off the jargon, grab a cup of coffee, and take a closer look.  

You can reach out to me for jargon busting advice or to pick my brains on whatever is causing you Tech Angst and confusion, or to learn which CMS is best for you on 07584 652854 or email emma@thisisismodular.co.uk

Written by Emma Millington, Head of Customer Relations