Information, Computer and Network Security Terms Glossary and Dictionary

SSL: Secure Sockets Layer

The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), a protocol originally defined by Netscape, is a commonly-used protocol for managing the security of a message transmission on the Internet. SSL has been succeeded by Transport Layer Security (TLS). But the SSL name has gained enough popularity, and people still call the protocol SSL or SST/TLS. The protocol is composed of two layers: the TLS Record Protocol and the TLS Handshake Protocol. At the lowest level, layered on top of some reliable transport protocol (TCP) is the TLS Record Protocol. SSL is included as part of both the Microsoft and Netscape browsers and most Web server products.

Related Terms

SSL: Secure Sockets Layer