What Is SSL Termination?

Techwalla may earn compensation through affiliate links in this story. Learn more about our affiliate and product review process here.
SSL termination reorganizes encrypted data.

A secure socket layer (SSL) connection uses a certificate for authentication before sending encrypted data from a client computer to the web server. SSL termination, a form of SSL offloading, shifts some of this responsibility from the web server to a different machine.

Advertisement

Function

Video of the Day

SSL termination works by intercepting encrypted traffic at the server receiving data from the SSL connection. It helps the server by decrypting and verifying the data on a different device so the server does not need to handle the process.

Advertisement

Video of the Day

Effects

SSL termination acts as the end of the line, or termination point, for an SSL connection. The process prepares the data for the server and organizes incoming connections in order to allow the web server to concentrate other tasks such as loading web pages.

Advertisement

Benefits

SSL termination allows servers with an SSL connection to handle a large volume of simultaneous connections, or sessions, and cookies. SSL termination also works to increase site and web application performance by increasing server speed. It ensures accuracy by performing decryption on a separate device.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

references

Report an Issue

screenshot of the current page

Screenshot loading...