If you read at least a couple of casino reviews, you must have come across an acronym SSL. Clearly, it has to do with security, and having SSL is better than not having it. But what does it stand for and how do you know if that website is indeed as safe as you are hoping?
Let's have a brief look at the term itself and dig just a tad deeper.
Online casino safety: how to know?
First and foremost, there is a way to know whether you are indeed protected. See if the website you are trusting with your sensitive data is secured by digital encryption technology.
For that, have a look at the URL toolbar. There must be a little padlock, appearing when you try to log in or make a payment.
For example, at Kahuna casino, you can see the padlock next to the URL. It's grey but turns green when banking and signing in are being handled. You can press on the padlock and read all the details.
What the SSL acronym means
The three letters of the word stand for "Secure Sockets Layer". This protocol aims to authenticate and encrypt the data sent between the server and the website. As most people know, sensitive data is most vulnerable while being passed between those two.
The use of the protocol makes the website more secure, which is crucial for any online business.
TLS vs. SSL
While SSL has been the golden standard for years and remains a security buzzword, there is another term. TLS is another acronym that stands for Transport Layer Security. It's a successor and a much-improved version of the SSL protocol. SSL and TLS are often used interchangeably
The first version of TLS was developed in the 1990s but never saw the light of day. Its 2.0 version only appeared five years later. Even though the second version was a definite improvement, it came with flaws and bugs of its own.
It took another year to release the 3.0 version, but by that time the protocol had become too vulnerable and flawed. It was substituted by TLS. This is the security certificate currently used by all the stores, casinos, and even banks.
Even though it keeps being referred to as SSL, it's more correct to call it TLS.
128-Bit Vs 256-Bit Digital Encryption
You probably have seen those numbers before - 128 and 256. They stand for the length of the session key. Logically, the longer the key - the more time a hypothetical hacker will need to crack it.
Both are the most used encryption keys in the world. 256-bit encryption is stronger, which offers better security as it will take a lot longer to break. And even though 128 is sufficiently strong for the time being, eCommerce will inevitably shift to 256-bit encryption.
No one says no to a higher level of protection. Online casinos are certainly among those always open to more of it.
Where SSL encryption is used
SSL encryption is used pretty much on any website where you are required to enter a user name and password. Obviously, any places where you would be using any payment options must have that sort of encryption in place.
As it was mentioned above, 256-bit SSL is better than the 128-bit kind. There may be a handful of eCommerce websites and companies already using it, while most stick to the industry-standard 128-bit.
What you need to know as a customer is that both are strong and offer protection of your sensitive data. But if your casino or the website you are using already shifted to 256, that means they are one step ahead of everyone else.
Encryption, authentication, and integrity: three core benefits
Here comes a very common misconception about SSL/TLS. Some believe it's not needed when there isn't any sensitive information being passed. But while the use of the SSL technology is crucial for that, the application is much wider.
The data gets encrypted to keep it from being stolen or altered while in transit. That also means passwords and other access information.
Authentication is another key feature of SSL/TLS, ensuring the data is being received at the right destination. Data integrity means it arrives the way it was sent without any losses.
Other benefits offered by SSL/TLS include better Google (News - Alert) ranking potential, as well as more trust from customers and visitors.
Conclusion
To sum up, SSL (a.k.a. TLS) is a technology that secures the link between the browser and the server. It keeps the data being transmitted unaltered and makes sure it gets sent where intended.
