The secure sockets layer/transport layer (SSL/TLS) security protocol enables two parties to communicate securely over the internet. Most commonly, a web server and client will use it to establish an authenticated, encrypted communication channel.
This way, even if the bad guys can intercept the data, they can’t read or alter it without having access to a special key (i.e., a decryption key).
But how secure is SSL/TLS technology in a world where mega data breaches are becoming the norm, and stolen sensitive data is put up for sale within hours of compromise? Let’s cut through the fog and find it out!
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How Secure Is SSL/TLS Technology?
The Short Answer
In a general sense, SSL/TLS technology is secure, but there’s an important caveat. While “SSL security”— meaning, the security offered by the SSL protocol — is outdated and insecure, “TLS security” — i.e., the security offered by the latest versions of the TLS protocol — is highly secure when properly implemented.
This is because “SSL” and “TLS” aren’t actually the same thing. They’re actually two separate (but related) internet security protocols, with TLS being newer and offering stronger encryption and advanced security features. People just use the terms interchangeably because they’re used to saying “SSL” out of habit. (To make it easy, we’ll refer to it as “SSL/TLS”.)
The Long Answer
In the digital world, nothing is 100% bulletproof. Nevertheless, SSL/TLS technology is highly secure, so long as you’re aware of its limits (e.g., it only protects data in transit) and follow SSL/TLS best practices.
In that way, SSL/TLS technology is a bit like your favorite cake. When you use the right, high-quality ingredients and follow the recipe, it’ll taste amazing. However, if you choose inferior ingredients and ignore baking protocols, you’ll get something so vile that even your dog won’t eat it.
When it comes to internet security, SSL/TLS is the standard (and has been for decades). In fact, without this technology, all data exchanged between the client and the server would be vulnerable to interception attacks and tampering. But just how secure is TLS? Let’s dig deeper.
Why SSL/TLS Security Has Been Trusted for Decades
When a user visits your website protected by SSL/TLS security, it means the client and server “shook hands.” Meaning, they completed a cryptographic process known as the SSL/TLS handshake that leverages SSL/TLS certificates to enable secure authentication, data encryption, and integrity.
- All publicly trusted SSL/TLS certificates are issued and digitally signed by a certificate authority (CA).
- Domain validation (DV) certificates are tied to your domain.
- Organization validation [OV] and extended validation [EV] certificates go a step further to prove your organization’s verified digital identity.
But SSL/TLS security does more than that. Namely, it:
- Plays a crucial role in helping users identify fraudulent websites. Scammers often direct the victims to phony websites to steal sensitive information. When your website is protected by an EV SSL/TLS certificate, the browser displays your organization’s name up front, confirming the site is legit.
- Protects your data from man-in-the-middle attacks (MitM). SSL/TLS encryption safeguards data exchanged between the client and the server. So, if a cybercriminal intercepts the information, they’ll still be unable to read it.
- Prevents data leaks and modification. TLS security supports several strong encryption and hashing algorithms. When used correctly, these features make it nearly impossible for attackers to decrypt, steal, and modify data in transit.
- Helps you secure AI models. Do you use AI? TLS is a fundamental security measure. It enables you to mitigate the unique risks introduced by AI models connected to third-party tools and data sources (e.g., on model context protocol [MCP] servers).
- Reduces the danger of session hijacking. Even if you use token-based multi-factor authentication (MFA), the bad guys can bypass it by extracting session tokens transmitted over unencrypted channels. That won’t happen if all your web pages, web apps, and services are protected by TLS (and, ideally, you also use PKI certificate-based MFA).
SSL/TLS: It Isn’t Perfect, But You Can Improve It
SSL/TLS technology is secure, but it isn’t foolproof. For instance, it only protects data in transit. That means that once data reaches the server, if the server itself isn’t protected, or if the server is controlled by one or more bad guys, any information at rest is at risk. However, it can be a game-changer when combined with other factors, such as:
- A correct installation and configuration of the SSL/TLS certificate. Security misconfiguration is one of the most critical web application security risks. So, automatically install your SSL/TLS certificate using tools like AutoInstall SSL.
- The utilization of secure standards and protocols. Allow only strong encryption standards (i.e., secure cipher suites) and protocols. For instance, TLS 1.2 or 1.3 offers greater security than SSL 2.0 or earlier TLS protocol versions (e.g., TLS 1.0 and 1.1).
- Employment of trusted SSL/TLS certificates. Use only SSL/TLS certificates issued by reputable certificate authorities (CAs) and providers such as GeoTrust.com. They’re issued only after a vetting process.
- Securely managed certificates and keys. If your private key or certificate is compromised, you’ll have to revoke it. The AutoInstall SSL client lets you safely store your key and automatically manage certificates, from the cradle to the grave.
- Regularly updated and patched servers, libraries, and configurations. Scan your server for vulnerabilities and configuration issues using an automated scanning tool such as GeoTrust Horizon Vulnerability Manager. Apply patches to TLS libraries (e.g., OpenSSL) and web servers.
- Perfect forward secrecy (PFS). PFS uses specific key exchange mechanisms. These ensure that, even if a server’s private key is compromised, past and future encrypted communications remain secure. When enabled, it’s SSL/TLS security at its finest.
- Continuous monitoring. Mistakes happen all the time, and attackers can’t wait to exploit them. Monitor your websites for SSL-related anomalies, expiring certificates, and configuration issues. GeoTrust Horizon SSL Monitor automatically scans your domains and subdomains and warns you when something is wrong.
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How to Enable SSL/TLS Security on Your Website
Ensuring a safer internet experience for your users and protecting sensitive data with SSL/TLS security is easier than you think. To get started, purchase an SSL/TLS certificate from a trusted vendor such as GeoTrust.com and follow the installation instructions for your server type.
- How to install an SSL/TLS certificate on your NGINX server (Ubuntu).
- How to add an SSL/TLS certificate to your Windows server (from version 2019 onward).
- How to integrate SSL/TLS security into your Rocky Linux (Apache) server.
- How to elevate your website’s security by installing an SSL/TLS certificate using cPanel.
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Final Thoughts About How Secure Is SSL/TLS Technology
Once correctly implemented and paired with an SSL/TLS certificate issued by a reputable CA (e.g., GeoTrust), SSL/TLS technology can be a game-changer and your best line of defense against nation-state threat actors and other cybercriminals.
Nevertheless, if you’re still wondering: “How secure is SSL/TLS security technology?” We suggest you put it to the test and see for yourself. Purchase an SSL/TLS certificate and automatically install it on your web server (automated installation prevents manual misconfigurations, remember?). Then you can sit back and watch your website security reach new heights.