Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)

What is Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a cryptographic protocol, now superseded by TLS, that was designed to encrypt data transmitted over the internet.

Although SSL has been superseded by TLS (Transport Layer Security) and all versions of SSL are now considered insecure, the term "SSL" is still widely used in everyday language to refer to the general concept of encrypted web connections. When people refer to an "SSL certificate" or "SSL encryption", they almost always mean TLS in practice.

What is the difference between SSL and TLS?

SSL was the original protocol, first released by Netscape in 1995. It went through several versions (SSL 2.0, SSL 3.0) before being replaced by TLS 1.0 in 1999, which was designed to address SSL's security weaknesses. All versions of SSL are now deprecated and disabled in modern browsers and servers. TLS 1.2 and TLS 1.3 are the versions in active use today.

What is an SSL certificate?

An SSL certificate (more accurately a TLS certificate) is a digital file that binds a cryptographic public key to a domain name. It allows a web server to prove its identity to a connecting browser, and enables an encrypted connection to be established. Certificates are issued by trusted Certificate Authorities (CAs) and typically need to be renewed annually.

What does "SSL" mean for MIDAS?

All cloud-hosted MIDAS booking systems use TLS (often referred to as SSL) to encrypt connections over HTTPS. If you run a self-hosted edition, you will need to obtain and install an SSL/TLS certificate on your web server to serve MIDAS over HTTPS.