What does SSL guarantee?

Question

If a website such as eBay, Hotmail, etc, has SSL in there sign-in page, what does that insure? What dangers can it prevent and what other risks are there that it doesn't prevent?

If a website such as eBay, Hotmail, etc, has SSL in there sign-in page, what does that insure? What dangers can it prevent and what other risks are there that it doesn't prevent?

I know what SSL is, I just want to know what can it 100% insure and what security risks it can not prevent.

Answer 1

SSL stands for Secure Socket Layer. In simple terms, websites use SSL to ensure that data passed between you and them is encrypted so others can't see the data.

You know your on a SSL web page if you see a padlock near the lower right corner of your browser and you see httpS:// at the beginning of the web address.

The risk is: many times you enter a user name and password to get to their SSL page and that can be seen by the bad guys. So, if you have a choice at Sign-in, use the secure, not the standard, log-in. Most good sites offer both options. Yahoo.com is a good example.

For more info, go to wikipedia.

Answer 2

Transport Layer Security (TLS) and its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), are cryptographic protocols which provide secure communications on the Internet for such things as web browsing, e-mail, Internet faxing, instant messaging and other data transfers.
The TLS protocol(s) allow applications to communicate across a network in a way designed to prevent eavesdropping, tampering, and message forgery. TLS provides endpoint authentication and communications privacy over the Internet using cryptography.