When a browser visits a website, provided the site has an SSL/ TLS certificate, the two begin what is known as the SSL handshake. The first step of the SSL handshake involves the browser checking the validity of the SSL certificate, making sure it is authenticated by a legitimate party and therefore trustworthy. Every SSL certificate has two keys, an associated public key and a private key. Separately, their job is to handle encryption and decryption to communicate securely during the SSL handshake. After the browser (the client) confirms the SSL certificate is valid, the client and website (the server) create what’s known as a session key, this is a third key. The third key (the symmetric key) is used for the remained of the secure connection. The handshake takes places over a few hundred milliseconds. Once a secure connection is established, the client and server are communicating safely.