SSL certificate verification is the process of confirming the authenticity of an SSL/TLS certificate presented by a website during a secure connection. It ensures that the certificate is issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA), is currently valid, and belongs to the entity claiming ownership of the domain.
SSL verifies a certificate through a chain of trust. When a user connects to a website over HTTPS, the server sends its SSL certificate. The client (e.g., web browser) checks if the certificate is signed by a trusted CA, hasn’t expired, and matches the domain it claims to secure. If these checks pass, the SSL/TLS connection proceeds securely.
The purpose of SSL certificates is to provide secure communication over the internet by encrypting data exchanged between a user’s device and a website’s server. They establish trust and authenticity, preventing unauthorized access, data interception, and tampering during transmission.
SSL certificate authentication involves verifying the identity of entities (like websites) using SSL certificates. This ensures that users can trust that they are connecting to the legitimate website and not an impostor or a malicious server pretending to be the legitimate site.
Disabling SSL verification is not safe as it removes the security checks that ensure the authenticity and integrity of SSL/TLS connections. Without verification, users are vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks, where attackers can intercept and modify communications between the user and the server. Maintaining SSL verification ensures secure and trustworthy online interactions.