What is the difference between SSH and SSL?
Written
By
Ananaya Kandpal
Reading time: 4 minutes
When we use the internet, whether it is logging into a server, opening a website, or sharing crucial information, security always works in the background. Two common technologies that assist in keeping the information safe are SSH and SSL. Although both are designed to secure data, they are used for very different objectives.
Several people get confused between SSH and SSL because both encrypt data and keep connections secure. However, the way they work, where they are used, and what problems they solve are quite different. Understanding this difference doesn’t need vast technical knowledge, just a clear explanation in simple terms.
However, both SSH and SSL were secretly designed for the protection of data transmission. They have been put to serve different objectives and run in different contexts. In this post, we are going to discuss the main difference between SSH and SSL in the easiest way possible.
What is Secure Shell (SHH)?
It refers to a cryptographic network protocol used to access the network devices and servers over the Internet. The SSH protocol was designed by SSH Communications Security Ltd. It enables us to log in safely into another computer over a network, execute commands in a remote machine, and transfer files from one machine to another through the network.
SSH is developed to offer secure communications between two systems, which makes it an ideal protocol for remote access and file transfer. It delivers solid authentication mechanisms that make it challenging for unauthorized access to occur. It is a flexible protocol that can be used for a variety of objectives, including remote login, file transfer, and tunneling.
What is Secure Socket Layer (SSL)?
Secure Socket protocol belongs to a networking protocol that offers secure transmission in an insecure network. It needs an SSL certificate and works on public key encryption. SSL is implemented in different operations of a networked environment, like web browsing, messaging, emails, and other protocols. It is a widely used protocol that is supported by most web browsers and applications. Moreover, SSL is relatively easy to use and does not need much configuration. It also offers solid encryption that is complex to break, which makes it an integral protocol for secure web communications.
Differentiate Between SSH and SSL
| SSH | SSL |
|---|---|
| It stands for Secure Shell | It stands for Secure Sockets Layer |
| It works on port number 22. | It works on port number 443. |
| It mainly depends on the network tunneling. | It is asynchronous as it depends on the certificates. |
| It encrypts the communication between two computers over the internet. | It encrypts the communication between the browser and server. |
| SSH is basically a cryptographic network protocol. | SSL is basically a security protocol. |
Key Similarities Between SSH and SSL
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Authentication: Both protocols offer authentication mechanisms to certify that only authorized users or devices are allowed to access the network or server. It supports a variety of authentication methods, including passwords, public key authentication, and two-factor authentication. It prefers digital certificates to authenticate web servers to client browsers.
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Encryption: Both SSH and SSL use encryption to secure communications. They prefer various encryption methods, but the goal is the same: to prevent unauthorized access to confidential data.
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Security: Both protocols are designed to offer a better level of security. They both use encryption and authentication mechanisms to secure against unauthorized tampering and other security threats.
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Flexibility: Both protocols are flexible and can be utilized for a variety of objectives beyond their primary use cases. For instance, SSH can be used for secure file transfers and remote administration, while SSL can be used for secure email communications and other non-web-based applications.
Thus, SSH and SSL are two different protocols generally used for various objectives. SSH is mainly used for secure remote access to servers and devices, while SSL is primarily used for securing web-based communications. They use various encryption algorithms, run on different port numbers, and offer different levels of authentication and implementation. Therefore, understanding the key differences between these two protocols can assist you in considering the right one for your specific needs.
