TLS
TLS
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
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. When you visit a site with 'https://', TLS is doing the hard work of making sure nobody in the middle can read what you're sending or receiving.
Real Talk
TLS (Transport Layer Security) is a cryptographic protocol that provides end-to-end security over a network. It uses asymmetric cryptography for key exchange and symmetric encryption for data transfer. TLS 1.3 is the current standard and deprecated TLS 1.0 and 1.1.
When You'll Hear This
"The API requires TLS 1.2 or higher." / "TLS termination happens at the load balancer."
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.
HSTS (HSTS)
HSTS (HTTP Strict Transport Security) tells the browser 'this site is ALWAYS HTTPS, never even try HTTP.
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.
SSL (SSL)
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the old-school version of the lock you see in your browser address bar.