SSL
SSL
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the old-school version of the lock you see in your browser address bar. It creates an encrypted tunnel between your browser and a website so nobody can eavesdrop on what you're sending. It's been replaced by TLS, but everyone still calls it SSL out of habit.
Real Talk
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a deprecated cryptographic protocol for securing network communications. It was superseded by TLS due to security vulnerabilities. However, the term 'SSL' is still colloquially used to refer to TLS certificates and encrypted connections.
When You'll Hear This
"Get an SSL certificate for the domain." / "The SSL certificate expired and the site shows a warning."
Related Terms
Certificate
A certificate is a digital ID card for a website, signed by a trusted authority.
Encryption
Encryption is scrambling your message into gibberish so only someone with the secret decoder ring can read it.
HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure)
HTTPS is HTTP but with a bodyguard. All the data flying between your browser and the website is scrambled so nobody can spy on it.
TLS (TLS)
TLS (Transport Layer Security) is the updated, actually-secure version of SSL. It's the technology that puts the padlock in your browser's address bar.