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Public-Key Encryption Algorithms : SSL


Secure Sockets Layer
  • An intermediate layer between the application and the transport protocol
  • goal - to create a secure and reliable communication channel


  • SSL protocol proveds connection security with 3 basic properties:
    1. The connection is private. Encryption is used after an initial public-key method handshake to define the cryptographic protocol. Secret-key methods are used for data encryption (ie. DES, RC4 ...)
    2. Identity can be authenticated using public-key methods.
    3. The connetion is reliable - message transmission includes a message integrity check mechanism (ie. SHA, MD5)


  • Basically, SSL is comprised of 2 parts:
    • SSL Handshake Protocol - used to establish a secure channel
    • SSL Application Data Protocol - used to exchange data over the established channel




Copyright 1997 by Slackers Union. Comments should go to any of the group members. Opinions reflected on this page are by no means opinions of UCSD. Go sue somebody else.

Last Modified: June 1, 1997