SSL, TLS, SSH: A Clear View of the Security Protocols

Security plays an integral role in your website hosting and it is not something that you can compromise at all. The majority of security breaches are not just carried out to steal your company data or deface your website, it can also be attempts to setup a temporary web server on your server and use it for illegal tasks. Securing your website from any unauthorized access and cyber-attacks allow you to deliver protection to your consumers without any pause and also have complete control of your data and applications. This, at the same time ensures that you offer uninterrupted performance to your consumers.

Understanding the different types of web hosting security protocols allows you to select the best web hosting plan for your website and engage safely in various business activities. To save your site from the hands of the hackers, I will share some important information about the different security types and form a clear concept about them.

Understanding SSL, TLS and SSH:

What is SSL?

SSL or Secure Socket Layer is the most widely used cryptographic protocol that offers security over the internet connections. It is one of the most important component that is used by online businesses for creating a trusted environment where the users can confidently carry out business transactions and make purchases. SSL offers a secured channel between two devices or machines that are operating over the internet or on any internal network, for example between a web server and a web browser. It turns the website’s address from HTTP to HTTPS where the ‘S’ stands for “Secure”. Purchasing an SSL certificate helps you to ensure your visitors that the connection is secure.

What is TLS?

Transport Layer Security or TLS is a protocol that offers data integrity and privacy between two communicating applications over the internet. It allows web browsing, data transfer, application access and other internet based communication in a safe and secured manner and also prevents the transmitted data from being tampered or eavesdropped by any unauthorized person. It is used to secure the Web browsers, servers, VPNs, database servers and many more. It works by enabling the client and the server to authenticate each other and choose a specific encryption algorithm before sending the data. Not only this, TLS also ensures that the connection is reliable and secure and provides data encryption and encapsulation services.

What is SSH?

Secure Socket Shell or SSH is a networking protocol that offers the administrators a secure means to access remote computers. It refers to the suite of utilities that use the protocol and offers a safe means to communicate with the server and a remote system. It is a secured interface used for executing shell services, network services and network communications with any remote computer. It allows two remotely connected users to perform communication through strong authentication and secure encrypted data over an insecure network like the internet.  SSH is widely used by the network administrators to manage applications and systems remotely, enabling them to execute commands, move files from one computer to another safely.

The above three security protocols have their own features and most web hosting service providers use them in some form or the other to enhance the security system. Since most businesses operate online, you should secure all your transactions and exchanges that are carried over the internet. And to make your website safe from any cyber-attacks, make sure that you pay close attention to the security measures that your web hosting provider uses.