Configuring Ssl; Overview; Ssl Security Mechanism; Ssl Protocol Stack - HP 6125G Configuration Manual

Configuring SSL

Overview

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a security protocol that provides secure connection services for TCP-based
application layer protocols such as Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). It is widely used in e-business and
online banking to ensure secure data transmission over the Internet.

SSL security mechanism

Secure connections provided by SSL have these features:
Confidentiality—SSL uses a symmetric encryption algorithm to encrypt data and uses the key
•
exchange algorithm of Rivest, Shamir, and Adelman (RSA) to encrypt the key to be used by the
symmetric encryption algorithm.
Authentication—SSL supports certificate-based identity authentication of the server and client by
•
using the digital signatures. The SSL server and client obtain certificates from a certificate authority
(CA) through the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).
• Reliability—SSL uses the key-based message authentication code (MAC) to verify message integrity.
A MAC algorithm transforms a message of any length to a fixed-length message. With the key, the
sender uses the MAC algorithm to compute the MAC value of a message. Then, the sender suffixes
the MAC value to the message and sends the result to the receiver. The receiver uses the same key
and MAC algorithm to compute the MAC value of the received message, and compares the locally
computed MAC value with that received. If the two values match, the receiver considers the
message intact; otherwise, the receiver considers that the message has been tampered with in
transit and discards the message.
Figure 65 Message integrity verification by a MAC algorithm
For more information about symmetric key algorithms, asymmetric key algorithm RSA and digital
signature, see
For more information about PKI, certificate, and CA, see

SSL protocol stack

The SSL protocol consists of two layers of protocols: the SSL record protocol at the lower layer and the SSL
handshake protocol, change cipher spec protocol, and alert protocol at the upper layer.
"Managing public keys."
"Configuring
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PKI."