A transport layer security (TLS) certificate is a standard method of authenticating the identity of a server and initiating encrypted connections between servers and clients. TLS connections are established based on TLS certificates, which generate unique encryption keys to create encrypted links between sites and visitors.
Companies use TLS certificates to ensure their website provides visitors with encrypted, private browsing. TLS certificate tools may utilize another company’s certificates but add value through their certificate lifecycle management capabilities.
Another type of certificate, secure sockets layer (SSL), is no longer in use, and many modern browsers no longer support SSL certificates. SSL was deprecated in favor of the more secure TLS certificate. Some use SSL to refer to TLS because of SSL’s name recognition. So, buyers searching for TLS certifications will often find what they need to be labeled as SSL.
TLS certificate solutions generate and provide companies with certificates for visitors across their sites. Companies use these tools to ensure the security of their visitors’ information and abide by current standards put forward by search engines. Sites without TLS may be penalized or not appear in major search engines, inevitably impacting site traffic. They are a critical component of web security, especially for sites where sensitive data is exchanged, such as e-commerce sites and online financial services.
TLS certificate technology relies on the same principles as encryption software products. However, TLS certificate solutions are unique to website browser and visitor security and will offer very different functionality than generalized encryption tools.
Further, there are other ways to encrypt and secure web communications, such as internet protocol security (IPsec) and secure shell (SSH). However, those alternatives work in different contexts and do not facilitate hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS), which is tailored for web transactions. Certificate resellers are not included in this category and are instead listed in a separate category.
Products listed in SSL and TLS certificate tools either issue their own certificates or utilize certificates from a certificate authority while offering substantial certificate management capabilities.
To qualify for inclusion in the SSL and TLS Certificate Tools category, a product must:
Utilize trusted certificate authorities
Provide TLS (also known as SSL) certificates
Delegate certificates across an entire domain
Provide advanced certificate lifecycle management capabilities
