OpenSSL

OpenSSL is an open-source cryptographic library designed to provide encrypted communication over the internet. It functions as a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) to establish a secure connection between two computers over the internet. OpenSSL is one of the most commonly used cryptographic libraries and is used to implement many secure communications protocols, such as HTTPS.

OpenSSL is written in C and is available for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, and Solaris. It also contains a wide range of cryptographic algorithms, such as SHA-1 and AES. OpenSSL has become a standard component of the “LAMP” stack, which is the term used to describe Linux, Apache, MySQL, and programming language environments.

OpenSSL is widely used for both client- and server-side information security, including authentication and digital signature services. OpenSSL is also used in a variety of other applications, such as virtual private networks and email clients. Additionally, OpenSSL is used to provide secure links between servers.

The OpenSSL project was initially created in 1998 with the purpose of creating an open-source set of tools for providing secure communications over the internet. It is now maintained by an international team of volunteer developers and is governed by the non-profit OpenSSL Foundation. The library is released under a dual licensing model, which means that it can either be used under the terms of an OpenSSL license or a more permissive, commercial license.