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How does SSL encryption work?

SSL is an anacronym for Secure Sockets Layer. It is the industry standard protocol to encode sensitive information (like your credit card number) as it passes between computers. SSL works by creating a private code shared by only the two computers on either end of a transaction. This enables the data being transferred to be scrambled at the "sending" end and unscrambled by the receiver. To anyone between the sender and the receiver the SSL transmission is indecipherable. This is an extremely safe way to transfer information.

You can tell that you are on a secure server by looking in your browser's location bar. The URL will start with https. The "s" after http indicates that the SSL protocol is being used to communicate with the server. (http = HyperText Transport Protocol; https = HTTP with SSL.)

Browsers also indicate a server is secure by showing a symbol that indicates you are in a secure area. Older versions of Netscape use a key symbol. The normal (insecure) mode is shown by a "broken" key. Most other browsers now use a "lock" symbol in either lower left or right. A closed lock indicates SSL. Safari's lock appears in the upper right corner.

Other Resources About SSL:

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