What do SSL and TLS protocols provide for transactions?

The chosen answer highlights that SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocols are primarily designed to provide authentication and encryption, which are crucial for securing online transactions.

Authentication ensures that the entities involved in the communication – such as a user and a web server – can verify each other’s identities. This reduces the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks where an unauthorized entity could attempt to intercept or impersonate one of the parties.

Encryption, on the other hand, safeguards the data being transmitted over the network by converting it into an unreadable format that can only be deciphered by the intended recipient. This is essential for protecting sensitive information such as credit card numbers, personal details, and other confidential data from being accessed by unauthorized individuals.

Together, these two components contribute to a secure and trustworthy online environment for transactions, ensuring that data remains private and securely exchanged.