Difference between SSL and TLS Certificate

1. You may have observed that many resources refer to SSL certificates using TLS certificates. However, they both are the backbone of secure communication across an unsecured network. Both SSL and TLS certificates are cryptographic technologies that offer authentication and data encryption over a network between servers, machines, and applications. In other words, a cryptographic protocol encrypts the data sent between a web server and a user. In this article, we will discuss the key differences between SSL and TLS certificates, along with their meaning. Before we get into the fundamental differences, let's first define SSL and TLs certificates. What is SSL Certificate? Secure Socket Layer (SSL) is a cryptographic technique for establishing safe encrypted internet connections. The most well-known application of SSL is when web browsers connect to websites and use SSL on top of “HTTP” to establish an “HTTPS” connection. It was first created in the mid-90s to provide better security across the web. However, it was never released because of significant security issues. Later, in 1995 and 1996, Netscape introduced SSL 2.0 and SSL 3.0 to secure internet connections across networks. However, both versions of SSL certificates were found to have

2. many security flaws. This leads to the introduction of the TLS (Transport Layer Security) certificate. What is TLS Certificates? Although SSL was a game-changer in internet encryption, it was full of flaws. The first version, namely SSL 1.0, was introduced in the year 1994 but never made a public appearance because of security issues. Similarly, SSL 2.0 and 3.0 were also released with the improvised versions, but they were far from perfect. So, to bridge the gap of these security flaws, the first version of TLS protocol, TLS 1.0, was released in the year 1999. After that, subsequent TLS protocols were developed with improved security features. The most recent version of the TLS certificate, TLS 1.3, was approved in the year 2018, which includes more complex capabilities than its predecessors. It includes the following information: The domain name Organization’s name Name of the certifying authority (CA) responsible for issuing the certificate. Any additional domain or sub-domain Date of publication Expiration date Digital signature of the certifying authority The public or private key Nowadays, TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 are the most extensively used cryptographic protocols. However, the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) discouraged the use of the final version of SSL 3.0 in 2015. In a nutshell, TLS is an improved version of SSL. Now that we’ve covered both the cryptographic protocols, i.e. SSL Certificate and TSL Certificate, let have a look at how they differ. Difference between SSL and TLS certificates The distinction between SSL and TLS certificates is so subtle that only a technically savvy individual can tell them apart. However, for a layman with limited technical knowledge, the difference between the two can be observed in how they establish secure connections. Both SSL and TLS do so via a procedure known as “the handshake,” which is used by the server and client to authenticate each other before establishing an encrypted connection. However, the SSL handshake is not the same as the TLS handshake.

3. The SSL version requires the use of a port to establish an explicit connection. On the other hand, TLS uses a protocol to establish what is known as an implicit connection. The procedure of both SSL and TLS handshakes are governed by cipher suites, which outline the sequence of steps required to perform a cryptographic function. Conclusion: Even though SSL certificates have declined in value over time and TLS has taken their place, SSL has become the brand and is the most commonly used name for digital certificates. The abrupt shift in names from SSL to TLS certificate may cause considerable confusion among clients, particularly those who aren’t familiar with Internet protocols. However, they are employed for the same goal, but their mechanisms are different. Source:https://www.htshosting.org/knowledge-base/website-security/233/difference- between-ssl-and-tls-certificate