What are SSL certificates?

Transport Layer Security (TLS) or Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a hybrid (i.e. combination of symmetrical and asymmetrical components) encryption protocol for secure data transmission in the internet.

SSL encryption is mainly used for HTTPS these days. Most web servers support TLS, many also support SSLv2 and SSLv3 with a multitude of encryption methods, but the majority of browsers and servers predominantly use TLS with RSA and AES encryption.

For some time, more and more website operators have been using extended-validation SSL-certificates (EV-SSL certificate). The browser address bar has an additional field where the certificate and domain owner are displayed, alternating with the certification organisation (e.g. VeriSign). In addition, depending on the browser and or/ add-on used, the address bar is displayed in green. Thus, internet users discern even faster whether the website visited is real and are better protected against phishing attacks.