What is SSL/TLS Handshake? SSL Handshake Explained
SSL/TLS certificates are digital security certificates, which secure all communications made on the internet with robust encryption. Communication on the internet is made between 2 parties, i.e. browser and server.
Almost 72% of the network traffic is encrypted, which states that all these sites on the internet are secured with SSL/TLS certificates. Their URL starts with HTTPS and includes a padlock in the address bar as well, which depicts that the sites are secured with encryption.
But how does the encryption process work in the backend, and how is the confidential information secured?
In this article, we will discuss how the SSL/TLS connection starts with “Handshake”, and how two parties on the internet encrypt their communications for securing websites.
SSL/TLS handshake is an arbitration made between the browser and the server for establishing the connection details. Since TLS replaced SSL before some time, all SSL handshakes are now defined as TLS handshakes. Both these parties decide on the below steps:
This is a background process, and every time a browser is directed to a secure site; this complex process functions to keep your sensitive data secured.
There are two types of SSL/TLS handshakes.
In the majority of the cases, two-way SSL is used, and both parties need to validate each other’s identity.