Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

The Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), originally created by Netscape, is the industry standard for session encryption between clients and servers.

SSL uses asymmetric, or public key, cryptography to encrypt the session between a server and client. The client and server applications negotiate this session key during an exchange of digital certificates. The key expires automatically after 24 hours, and the SSL process creates a different key for each server connection and each client. Consequently, even if unauthorized users intercept and decrypt a session key (which is unlikely), they cannot use it to eavesdrop on later sessions.

Related concepts
Cryptography
Types of digital certificates