What does the acronym SSL stand for?

The acronym SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. This protocol was designed to provide a secure channel between two machines operating over the internet or an internal network. By using encryption, SSL ensures that the data transmitted between the client and the server remains confidential and integral, which is crucial for safeguarding sensitive information like personal details, credit card numbers, and login credentials.

SSL has been a foundational technology for securing communications on the web, and it is commonly used in conjunction with HTTP to create secure HTTPS connections. Though SSL has largely been replaced by the more secure Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol, the term SSL is still widely used to refer to both SSL and TLS in discussions about secure internet communications.