10 Transport Layer Security (TLS): How the internet is secured
This chapter covers
- Understanding how TLS secures communication over untrusted networks
- Discovering what TLS actually protects you against, and what it doesn’t
- Applying TLS works in practice across browsers and servers
- Identifying common pitfalls in TLS configuration and how to avoid them
The internet is like a noisy city full of people who love to listen in. Every time your phone or computer sends something, like logging into your bank, ordering sushi, or sending a file, it’s a bit like whispering a secret in a crowded Starbucks. If you're not careful, anyone nearby can hear it. Even worse, someone might grab the message, change your tiramisu to a cheesecake, or pretend to be your bank.
TLS gives you an encrypted briefcase (so no one can read your message), a signature wax seal (so they know it’s really from you), and a way to confirm that the recipient isn’t some villain in disguise. It’s the technology behind that little padlock in your browser. And without it, the web would be a free-for-all of stolen passwords, fake websites, and identity theft (figure 10.1).
Figure 10.1 When surfing the Internet from a public network, you never know who shares the network with you. For this reason, all communications need to be secured.
