What is TLS?
You need to make your websites secure from external threats. One of the ways is by implementing a Secure Socket Layer (SSL). Today, there is another security technology that you can use, i.e., TLS. Let’s take a look at it.
TLS
Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol that provides end-to-end security of data sent between applications over the Internet. It is commonly used for secure web browsing. However, it can also be used with other applications like email, file transfers, video/audio conferencing, instant messaging, and voice-over-IP.
TLS And SSL
Netscape developed SSL. TLS is an evolved form of SSL. TLS version 1.0 began development as SSL 3.1, but the name was later changed to indicate that it is no longer associated with Netscape. But the term SSL and TLS are often used interchangeably.
How does TLS work?
The TLS protocol contains three main components. Let’s take a look at them.
Encryption
The first one is encryption. TLS encrypts the data that is sent over the Internet, so even if it is intercepted, the hackers will not be able to make sense out of it.
Authentication
The second component is authentication. The TLS makes sure that the systems that are exchanging the information are who they claim to be.
Integrity
The last component is integrity that verifies that the data has not been forged or tampered with during transmission.
Benefits of Using TLS
There are several advantages of using TLS. Here are some of them:
- It provides data integrity.
- It shows that a site is secured and, therefore, reliable.
- TLS provides better security than SSL because it uses a cryptographic method known as HMAC
- TLS protects against malware.
- It provides a more advanced and reactive alert system. Users are immediately alerted if there is any problem during sessions.