WS_FTP ProAddendum to User’s GuideAddendum to WS_FTP Pro User’s GuideThis chapter describes what SSL is and how you can configure WS_FTP Pro to make secure (SSL) connections.What is SSL?SSL (Secure Socket Layer) is a protocol for encrypting and decrypting data sent across direct internet connections. When a client makes an SSL connection with a server, all data sent to and from that server is encoded with a complex mathematical algorithm that makes it extremely difficult to decode anything that is intercepted. The following is a step by step illustration of how SSL works.Step 1. The client makes the initial connection with the server and requests that an SSL connection be made. Step 2. If the server is properly configured, the server will send to the client its certificate and public key. Step 3. The client uses that public key to encrypt a session key and sends the session key to the server. If the server asks for the cli- ent’s certificate in Step 2, the client must send it at this point. Step 4. If the server is set up to receive certificates, it compares thecertificate it received with those listed in its trusted authorities database and either accepts or rejects the connection.
