Secure Sockets Layer and Transport Layer Security
What is Secure Sockets Layer?
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a protocol for encrypting data sent over the internet. SSL was developed by Netscape in 1994. The first version of SSL, version 1.0, was never released to the public. Version 2.0 was released in 1995, but it was replaced within a year by version 3.0. However, SSL failed to keep up with the needs of the growing internet and was eventually replaced by Transfer Layer Security (TLS). Nevertheless, SSL is still sometimes used to refer to TLS.
What is Transfer Layer Security?
Transfer Layer Security (TLS) is the current protocol for encrypting data sent between computers over the internet. TLS was developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in 1999 and was based on Secure Sockets Layer version 3.0. It improves on the encryption and adds to the security of SSL. The most recent version of TLS is version 1.3.
| Browser | Browser Logo | Current Version | Supports TLS 1.3? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Chrome |  |
81 | yes |
| Mozilla Firefox |  |
76 | yes |
| Safari |  |
13.1 | partially |
| Microsoft Edge |  |
81 | yes |
| Opera |  |
68 | yes |
What is HTTPS?
HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. It combines Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) with Transfer Layer Security (TLS). HTTPS is often indicated with a lock icon in a web browser’s address bar.