Secure Sockets Layer

Secure Sockets Layer or SSL is a protocol designed by Netscape Communications Corporation to provide encrypted communications on the Internet. SSL is layered beneath application protocols such as HTTP, SMTP, Telnet, FTP, Gopher, and NNTP and is layered above the connection protocol TCP-IP.

While SSL can be used to add security to many protocols, it is most commonly used in the HTTPS access method. HTTPS is used to secure World Wide Web pages for applications such as Electronic commerce.

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This article (or an earlier version of it) contains material from FOLDOC's [article on SSL], used with permission.