A Survey on SSL Packet Structure

In light of the requirement for a safe association with exchange private data over the web, Netscape created Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) as a methods for building up a safe pathway between a customer and a server over a web. Utilizing standard web conventions, for example, TCP/IP, data sent starting with one PC then onto the next can be sniffed out and caught or seen by programmers situated inbetween the source and destination. SSL prevents such activity with the help of Public Key Encryption and Digital Certificates or IDs set up by trusted Certificate Authorities (CA) to build up a server's character and helps in transfer of data in an encoded shape along its transmission. SSL protocol includes four sections: the SSL request, the SSL Handshake, secure data transfer, and end of the SSL connection. The request is initiated with the user PC using port 443 (say https), a default secure port, to the server and at that point the public key and digital certificate to the user is sent. Approval of the certificate takes place with certain considerations from CA. Upon approval of the certificate the client and server starts communicating with each other to establish a common supported encryption scheme and with the help of this and the open and private key of the server generates symmetrical keys named as session keys. This session keys are used for encoding the message. The open and the private keys of server is used for the sender and the message verification.