Key Lengths and Encryption Strength
It is possible for several different ciphers to be used in an SSL transaction. In fact, SSL uses a combination of symmetric and public key ciphers to do its job (see Chapter 12 for a discussion of encryption). The main encryption that is provided by the tunnel is done using symmetric key cryptography. Both the browser and server share a secret key that can be used to encrypt and decrypt the information. This secret key is exchanged securely using public key cryptography.
Symmetric key cryptography is the process by which two or moreparties share the same encryption key. It's like when you share the same house key with people in your family. Only one key locks and unlocks the front door, but each member of the ...
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