SSL and TLS

Author: Eric Rescorla
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-10-01
Features: This book not only explains how SSL/TLS works but also introduces how to use the free ssldump diagnostic tool written by the author to display protocols in applications. When describing the characteristics of each protocol, the author first illustrates how it works with examples, and then explains it with specific implementations. Other basic details of the SSL/TLS protocols relevant to security architects, application designers, and software engineers are also needed. By applying the practical design rules introduced in the book, you can design systems that quickly and securely apply SSL/TLS. These design rules are discussed in the chapters on the new IETF HTTP and SMTP over TLS standards. The SSL encrypted socket protocol layer is the most widely deployed security protocol in the world, with every commercial browser and server using SSL internally to support secure web transactions. TLS is the successor to SSL. The first half of the book primarily discusses the technical details of how SSL and TLS work, separately discussing their security and performance attributes. The second half of the book explains how to use SSL/TLS to securely apply protocols and system implementations. It first introduces general guidelines for using SSL/TLS, and then discusses several protocols that already use SSL/TLS to ensure security.