SSL is the old name people still use for the technology that secures websites. Modern HTTPS connections use TLS (Transport Layer Security), not SSL. In a typical connection, your browser and a website’s server agree on security settings, verify the server’s identity using a certificate, establish shared encryption keys, and use those keys to protect data sent between them.
What SSL means today
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) was the predecessor to Transport Layer Security (TLS). Although phrases such as “SSL certificate” remain common, they usually refer to a certificate used with TLS. SSL 3.0 is obsolete and must not be negotiated under the TLS 1.3 specification; it is not a secure alternative to TLS. RFC 8446 defines TLS 1.3 and prohibits SSL 3.0 negotiation.
TLS protects a communication channel. It does not determine what the application’s messages mean or how an application starts a secure connection; those details belong to the application protocol. HTTPS is the familiar web example: HTTP traffic is carried over a TLS-protected connection.
How a typical HTTPS connection is established
A common TLS 1.3 HTTPS connection uses a certificate to authenticate the server. The exact handshake can vary: TLS 1.3 also supports pre-shared-key modes, and client-certificate authentication is optional.
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- The browser proposes options. In a ClientHello message, it sends supported protocol versions, cryptographic options, and key-exchange material. In some resumed or pre-shared-key connections, it can instead or also offer a pre-shared key.
- The server selects parameters. The server replies with its choices and its contribution to the key exchange. The two sides use the exchange to establish shared keying material; subsequent handshake messages are encrypted.
- The server proves its identity in the usual certificate mode. The server sends a certificate chain and signs the handshake transcript with the private key corresponding to the certificate’s public key. The browser checks the certificate against its configured trust and verifies the signature and handshake integrity.
- Both sides finish and protect traffic. Each side sends a Finished message and derives traffic keys. The TLS record layer then uses authenticated encryption to protect application data in transit.
This is a simplified account of a common certificate-authenticated flow, not a claim that every TLS connection follows identical messages or sends a certificate. The TLS 1.3 specification describes the protocol’s handshake and record protection.
What an HTTPS certificate proves—and what it does not
A certificate associates a public key with a domain name and fits into a chain of signatures that the browser evaluates using its configured trust. In ordinary web use, this lets the browser check that the server can prove control of the key associated with the named domain.
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Certificate issuance is not a general background check on a website. Let’s Encrypt’s process requires an applicant to prove control of a domain before issuing a certificate; renewal repeats issuance steps, and certificates can also be revoked. That process verifies domain control, not the site’s honesty or safety. Let’s Encrypt explains its issuance, renewal, and revocation process.
- A valid HTTPS certificate helps the browser verify that it has connected to the named domain and established encryption with that endpoint.
- It does not prove that the site’s claims are true, that the operator is reputable, or that the site is free of phishing or malware.
For that reason, a padlock or HTTPS indicator is evidence about the connection, not a safety endorsement of the website.
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Plain HTTP traffic can be viewed or modified by parties along the network path. HTTPS uses TLS to reduce those risks for the protected connection: encryption helps prevent network observers from reading the traffic, while integrity protection helps detect unauthorized changes in transit. Let’s Encrypt explains why websites should use HTTPS.
This protection applies to data while it travels between the endpoints. It does not secure a compromised browser or server, prevent a user from sending information to a deceptive site, or establish that the site itself is trustworthy.
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TLS versions and client authentication
TLS 1.3 is defined by RFC 8446. MDN describes TLS 1.3 as the current version in its guidance, notes that some websites still use TLS 1.2, and advises against TLS 1.0 and 1.1. These are version-guidance statements, not a guarantee about what any particular site supports; actual compatibility depends on the client and server. MDN’s TLS guide provides a browser-focused explanation.
In the usual web connection, the server is authenticated to the browser. Some TLS uses can also require a client certificate so the client authenticates itself to the server. That is optional and is not required for every HTTPS visit.
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What to remember when you see “SSL”
- “SSL” in a product name or web-hosting setting usually means TLS-based HTTPS, not the obsolete SSL protocol.
- TLS negotiates connection parameters, authenticates the server in the common certificate mode, and protects traffic with derived keys.
- HTTPS protects data in transit; a certificate does not certify a site’s reputation or content.
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