SSL/TLS use which type of encryption?

SSL/TLS use which type of encryption?

• A. Symmetric encryption only
• B. Asymmetric encryption only
• C. Both; using asymmetric to encrypt a single-use symmetric key, which in turn gets used to encrypt the session data
• D. No encryption

Answer: (C)

SSL/TLS relies on both types of encryption. During the handshake, public‑key (asymmetric) cryptography is used to securely establish a shared, single‑use symmetric key, which then encrypts all the actual data in the session. This split makes the process both secure and efficient: asymmetric methods protect the key exchange, while symmetric methods (faster ciphers) handle the bulk data encryption. Some TLS setups even use ephemeral key exchange to generate a fresh session key for each connection, reinforcing forward secrecy. This precisely matches the idea of using asymmetric to protect a symmetric session key, which is then used for the session data.

SSL/TLS relies on both types of encryption. During the handshake, public‑key (asymmetric) cryptography is used to securely establish a shared, single‑use symmetric key, which then encrypts all the actual data in the session. This split makes the process both secure and efficient: asymmetric methods protect the key exchange, while symmetric methods (faster ciphers) handle the bulk data encryption. Some TLS setups even use ephemeral key exchange to generate a fresh session key for each connection, reinforcing forward secrecy. This precisely matches the idea of using asymmetric to protect a symmetric session key, which is then used for the session data.