Secure Socket Layer

User's Guide

Version 8.1.1

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• Reference Manual
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Chapters

• Introduction
  • Top of chapter
  • Purpose
  • Prerequisites
• TLS and its Predecessor, SSL
  • Top of chapter
  • Security Overview
  • Data Privacy and Integrity
  • Digital Certificates
  • Peer Authentication
  • TLS Sessions
• Using SSL API
  • Top of chapter
  • Setting up Connections
• Using SSL for Erlang Distribution
  • Top of chapter
  • Building Boot Scripts Including the ssl Application
  • Specifying Distribution Module for net_kernel
  • Specifying SSL Options
  • Setting up Environment to Always Use SSL
  • Using SSL distribution over IPv6

1 Introduction

1.1  Purpose

Transport Layer Security (TLS) and its predecessor, the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), are cryptographic protocols designed to provide communications security over a computer network. The protocols use use X.509 certificates and hence public key (asymmetric) cryptography to authenticate the counterpart with whom they communicate, and to exchange a symmetric key for payload encryption. The protocol provides data/message confidentiality (encryption), integrity (through message authentication code checks) and host verification (through certificate path validation).

1.2  Prerequisites

It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the Erlang programming language, the concepts of OTP, and has a basic understanding of SSL/TLS.