But these protocols don't work in a vacuum. They rely on two major pillars: and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) . Here is how they come together to create a secure channel. 1. The Building Blocks: Cryptography
Cryptographic hashes (like SHA-256) act as "digital fingerprints" for data. If even a single bit of data is tampered with during transit, the hash won't match, alerting the system that the message is no longer authentic. 2. The Identity Provider: Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) Implementing SSL / TLS Using Cryptography and PKI
Encryption keeps data secret, but it doesn't tell you who you're talking to. This is where comes in. PKI is the framework of policies, hardware, and software used to manage digital certificates. About Me - Command Line Fanatic But these protocols don't work in a vacuum
Also known as public-key cryptography, this uses a Public Key (to encrypt) and a Private Key (to decrypt). This solves the "chicken and egg" problem: how do you send a secret symmetric key to someone over an insecure internet? You encrypt it with their public key. PKI is the framework of policies
SSL/TLS doesn't just use one type of encryption; it strategically uses three different cryptographic tools to achieve its goals:
