Now, here’s a good way to understand about SSL/TLS connections.
While we were scouring the web for effective ways to explain this comprehensively, we chanced upon Reddit user, Wearedevo’s explanation. Here, check it out.
- HTTP: You pass an “I love you!” note to the cute girl across the room, Alice, but Alice’s jealous friend Eve grabs the note and reads it out loud, everyone laughs at you.
- SSL: SSL is like secret decoder rings. You use different secret decoder rings with everyone you pass notes to.
- HTTPS handshake: To have a secret conversation the first few notes you pass to each other establishes which secret decoder rings you’ll use.
- HTTPS: You and Alice pass each other encoded notes. Alice is another room so friends can pass the notes between you but without your decoder rings they can’t understand what the notes say.
- Server certificate: Alice is another room. You can’t see her. She passed you a note but how do you know it really came from her or is Eve trying to trick you? The note has a special signature that says “Ted certifies this note came from Alice: AJ 23 74 H1 D3” You use the secret decoder ring you use to talk to Ted to check the secret code in this signature, and if it matches “ALICE” then you are assured the note really came from Alice.
Source: User: wearedevo, Reddit (Link)