In computer forensics, SSL certificates are one of the most important pieces of information. These SSL certificates are used by web servers to authenticate the identity and location of the website in question. SSL certificates provide the assurance that the website you are visiting has been cryptographically verified. In computer forensics, this verification is critical to establishing liability and establishing a chain of custody. The purpose of SSL certificates is to provide third parties with trust, confirmation, and authentication to transact on behalf of the victim or target site.

Why SSL?
SSL certificates are used in the World Wide Web for two purposes. First of all, SSL certificates provide the means for allowing secure connections to be established between two independent networks. If you want to transfer information between two computers, you generally use a session initiated protocol (SIP) and a private key infrastructure (PKI). However, in order for this to work effectively, both systems must support SSL certificate authentication. Secondly, SSL certificates provide evidence to search engines regarding the validity of the websites that reference content from the site in question. As a result, SSL certificates provide great value in establishing trust, both within individual web pages and those of the organizations that host them.
SSL In Computer Forensics
In computer forensics, SSL certificates provide the means for establishing a link between two different types of communication channels. For example, an internet phone call is one of the most common ways to establish secure communication. The SSL protocol establishes a secure connection between the call and the originating server so that the privacy of the call is maintained at all times. A call can also be secured using the SBC protocol, which is not a protocol but rather an application that runs on a computer and display information about the IP address, port, and name of the computer on which the call is made.
SSL Certificate Basics
When it comes to understanding how SSL certificates work, you first need to understand how they are employed within the web environment. Once the SSL protocol has been established, a padlock is displayed on the web browser’s address field. This padlock displays a lock symbol that signifies that you are communicating with a trusted site. In the same way, when a URL or web page is typed into the address bar, the padlock will appear and be locked as well. At this point, a browser will display a message indicating that data provided by the user is being encrypted by a trusted third party.
SSL Certificates – Basics
There are many benefits associated with the use of SSL certificates. One of the most prominent benefits is the implementation of domain validation. Domain validation ensures that the website that one is trying to access is only displaying information that is contained in the database of the domain name server. This means that the data being presented on one’s browser homepage is only the information that is contained in the IP address, the DNS name, and possibly the passwords that have been established with the domain name server. With the implementation of different types of SSL certificates, this process has proven to be more effective in reducing the number of websites that display potentially fraudulent information.
SSL certificates provide end users with a way to verify the integrity of data that they transmit over the internet. In addition, SSL certificates can also prevent the browser from displaying potentially fraudulent information. It is very likely that every time you enter your credit card or banking information over the internet, you are exposing your sensitive information to possible attack from hackers. By protecting your information from the sniffers, you are taking steps to reduce the risks of identity theft. Regardless of whether you are using a commercial site, a personal site, or even a social media site, you can take advantage of the benefits of using SSL certificates.