OpenSSL
OpenSSL is an open-source encryption toolkit widely used for secure and private communication over computer networks. It implements the SSL and TLS protocols as well as general encryption methods like hashing and digital certificates.
ssl
tls
encryption
certificates
hashing
networking
OpenSSL: Secure Communication Toolkit
Open-source encryption toolkit for secure communication over computer networks, implementing SSL/TLS and general encryption methods like hashing and digital certificates.
What is OpenSSL?
OpenSSL is an open-source encryption toolkit for securing communications over computer networks. It implements Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols as well as general-purpose cryptography functions.
OpenSSL provides tools for data encryption, certificates management, and authentication that allows applications to communicate privately and securely over the Internet. It supports a wide range of encryption algorithms including AES, RSA, SHA-2 for secure communications between a client and a server.
Some of the key features of OpenSSL include:
- Implementation of SSL and TLS protocols for secure transfer of data over networks
- Cryptographic libraries for hashing, encryption/decryption, certificates management
- Command line tools like openssl, ca, req, x509 for certificates generation
- APIs for use in custom applications requiring encryption capabilities
- Support for public key infrastructure (PKI) and X.509 digital certificates
As an open-source tool, OpenSSL is used widely on the internet by major web servers and client applications to enable HTTPS and other secure communications. It provides the underlying encryption technologies for online transactions, web browsing, and system administration tasks.
OpenSSL Features
Features
- SSL/TLS encryption
- Cryptographic libraries
- Digital certificates
- Public key infrastructure
- Hashing algorithms
Pricing
- Open Source
Pros
Free and open source
Wide platform support
Strong security
Active development community
Cons
Complex configuration
Vulnerable to bugs/exploits
Lacks user-friendly interface
Official Links
The Best OpenSSL Alternatives
Top Security & Privacy and Encryption and other similar apps like OpenSSL
Here are some alternatives to OpenSSL:
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LibreSSL
LibreSSL is a free and open-source cryptographic software library that was forked from OpenSSL in 2014 by OpenBSD developers after the Heartbleed bug was publicly disclosed in OpenSSL. The goal of LibreSSL is to provide a modern, efficient, and secure replacement for OpenSSL.Some key facts about LibreSSL:Developed by OpenBSD developers...
SimpleAuthority
SimpleAuthority is a user permissions and access management solution designed specifically for websites and web applications. It provides a simple yet powerful way to manage user roles, permissions, and access levels across your sites and apps.With SimpleAuthority, admins can create and manage user roles with specific permissions attached to them....
GnuTLS
GnuTLS is an open source software library that implements the Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) cryptographic protocols. It offers a complete application programming interface (API) to work with X.509 certificates, cipher suites, encryption algorithms, and authentication mechanisms as needed to set up secure communication over networks.GnuTLS...
Mbed TLS
mbed TLS, formerly known as PolarSSL, is an open source cryptographic and TLS/SSL library designed specifically for small, resource-constrained devices. It aims to make it easy for developers to deploy and use robust security features in embedded products such as smart meters, wearables, IoT devices, routers, and more.Some key features...
SecureBlackbox®
SecureBlackbox is a software development kit (SDK) developed by EldoS focused on encryption, security, and cryptography. It provides a wide range of cryptographic functionality accessible via easy-to-use APIs, allowing developers to easily add advanced security features into their software applications and web services.Some of the main features of SecureBlackbox include:Symmetric...
WolfSSL
wolfSSL (formerly CyaSSL) is an open source SSL/TLS library targeted at embedded and RTOS environments, focusing on being lightweight, portable, and resource-efficient. Some key features of wolfSSL include:Supports TLS 1.3, TLS 1.2, SSL 3.0, and SSL 2 compatibility modesImplements cipher suites including AES, SHA2, ECC, RSA, and moreSmall footprint, configurable...
SharkSSL
SharkSSL is an open source SSL/TLS toolkit designed to simplify secure socket programming. It offers a clean and easy-to-use API that abstracts away many of the complexities associated with correctly and securely implementing SSL. Some of the key capabilities and benefits of SharkSSL include:- Support for TLS 1.3 and earlier...
Themis
Themis is an open-source data privacy platform developed by Cossack Labs. It provides a set of easy-to-use cryptographic privacy tools that enable organizations and individuals to protect their sensitive data and communications.Some of the key features of Themis include:Secure messaging with forward secrecy and post-compromise securitySearchable encryption for secure cloud...
Network Security Services
Network Security Services (NSS) is an open-source set of libraries designed to support cross-platform development of security-enabled client and server applications. Developed by Mozilla and backed by a large community of open source developers, NSS provides a complete open-source implementation of crypto libraries supporting SSL, S/MIME, PKI, PKCS#11, PKCS#12, X.509...
