Andrew works as a Network Administrator for Infonet Inc. The company’s network has a Web server
that hosts the company’s Web site. Andrew wants to increase the security of the Web site by
implementing Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Which of the following types of encryption does SSL use?
Each correct answer represents a complete solution. Choose two.
A.
Synchronous
B.
Secret
C.
Asymmetric
D.
Symmetric
Explanation:
SSL uses both the symmetric and asymmetric encryption algorithms. Symmetric
algorithm uses the same key to encrypt and decrypt data. This
algorithm is faster than asymmetric algorithm but not as secure as it. Asymmetric algorithms use a
pair of keys. Data encrypted using one key
can only be decrypted using the other. Typically, one of the keys is kept private while the other is
made public. Because one key is always
kept private, asymmetric algorithm is generally secure. However, it is much slower than symmetric
algorithm. To take advantage of both
algorithms, SSL encapsulates a randomly selected symmetric key inside a message encrypted with an
asymmetric algorithm.
Using the SSL protocol, clients and servers can communicate in a way that prevents eavesdropping
and tampering of data on the Internet.
Many Web sites use the SSL protocol to obtain confidential user information, such as credit card
numbers. By convention, URLs that require an
SSL connection start with https: instead of http:. By default, SSL uses port 443 for secured
communication.