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Secure Socket Layer
User's Guide
Version 7.2

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Chapters

- Introduction
  - Top of chapter
  - Purpose
  - Prerequisites
- TLS and its Predecessor, SSL
  - Top of chapter
  - Security Overview
  - Data Privacy and Integrity
  - Digital Certificates
  - Peer Authentication
  - TLS Sessions
- Using SSL API
  - Top of chapter
  - Setting up Connections
- Using SSL for Erlang Distribution
  - Top of chapter
  - Building Boot Scripts Including the ssl Application
  - Specifying Distribution Module for net_kernel
  - Specifying SSL Options
  - Setting up Environment to Always Use SSL

# 1 Introduction

### 1.1 Purpose

Transport Layer Security (TLS) and its predecessor, the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), are cryptographic protocols designed to provide communications security over a computer network. The protocols use use X.509 certificates and hence public key (asymmetric) cryptography to authenticate the counterpart with whom they communicate, and to exchange a symmetric key for payload encryption. The protocol provides data/message confidentiality (encryption), integrity (through message authentication code checks) and host verification (through certificate path validation).

### 1.2 Prerequisites

It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the Erlang programming language, the concepts of OTP, and has a basic understanding of SSL/TLS.