SSL is a protocol using different cryptographic algorithms to implement security-using authentication with certificates, session key exchange algorithms, encryption and integrity check. It is a common protocol, often used to ensure that the communication between WWW-server and WWW-client is safe and encrypted. Digital certificates encrypt data using Secure Sockets layer (SSL) technology, the industry-standard method for protecting web communications developed by Netscape Communications Corporation. The SSL security protocol provides data encryption, server authentication, message integrity and optional client authentication for a TCP/IP connection. Because SSL is built into all major browsers and web servers, simply installing a digital certificate turns on their SSL capabilities.SSL comes in two strengths, 40-bit, and 128-bit, which refer to the length of the ?session key? generated by every encrypted transaction. The longer the key, the more difficult it is to break the encryption code. Most browsers support 40-bit SSL sessions, and the latest browsers, including Netscape Communicator 4.0, enable users to encrypt transactions in 128-bit sessions - trillions of times stronger than 40-bit sessions. Global companies that require international transactions over the web can use global server certificates program to offer strong encryption to their customers.