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Short for Secure Sockets Layer, a protocol developed by Netscape for transmitting private documents via the Internet. SSL works by using a private key to encrypt data that's transferred over the SSL connection. Both Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer support SSL, and many Web sites use the protocol to obtain confidential user information, such as credit card numbers. By convention, Web pages that require an SSL connection start with https: instead of http:.

Another protocol for transmitting data securely over the World Wide Web is Secure HTTP (S-HTTP). Whereas SSL creates a secure connection between a client and a server, over which any amount of data can be sent securely, S-HTTP is designed to transmit individual messages securely. SSL and S-HTTP, therefore, can be seen as complementary rather than competing technologies. Both protocols have been approved by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) as a standard.

Introduction to SSL
Concise overview of the SSL protocol, with information on ciphers and the SSL handshake.

Netscape's SSL Page
Describes what SSL is and how it works. with information on server and personal certificates.

Apache-SSL
Describes Apache-SSL, a secure Webserver, based on Apache and SSLeay/OpenSSL.

OpenSSL
Provides information about a free, open-source implementation of SSL.

Secured Transmission (SSL , HTTPS)
An open, non-proprietary protocol is perhaps the most common way of providing encrypted transmission of data between Web browsers and Web servers.

Security and Encryption Links
Comprehensive collection of security related links.

SSL 3.0 Specification
Contains links to SSL 3.0 specification drafts and information about implementing SSL.

SSL Basics for Internet Users
A plain-English guide to frequently asked SSL questions.

SSL Programmer Reference document
Provides links to sections of a document describing an implementation of the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol. Updated on Jun 22, 1997

The SSLP reference project
This site describes a project that will produce a fully functional, exportable, reference implementation of the SSL protocol, call SSLPref. In addition, there are links to security and SSL related sites. Updated on Jul 9, 1997

Yahoo!'s Secure Socket Layer (SSL) page
Yahoo!'s directory of Secure Socket Layer (SSL). Updated on Aug 2, 1998