SSL/TLS Under Lock and Key: A Guide to Understanding SSL/TLS Cryptography

If you are looking for a comprehensive, soup-to-nuts resource on SSL/TLS, look no further. This book, geared towards bridging the gap between the absolute beginner and the veteran IT Professional, combines the theoretical and the practical in equal measure.

The first half of our book focuses on foundational theory, covering topics such as:



Symmetric vs Asymmetric cryptography
One-Way functions
Digital Signatures
Key Generation
History and Context


The second half encourages fledgling administrators to jump in with both feet, outlining the quirks of common tasks such as:



Generating a signing request for a certificate (CSR)
Generating a self-signed certificate (and when it is safe to do or not do so)
Converting certificates between different formats including java keystores
Configuring servers to meet best practices, not in a vacuum, but for the security and compatibility needs of your business vertical.


Are you a systems administrator just starting out? A developer looking to not just implement, but to understand? Or perhaps SSL/TLS has been a topic you've avoided over the years because it is very dense and implementation can be fraught with fidgety pitfalls. You can read this book cover to cover, crosswalk to the copiously linked RFCs, or use it as a desk reference.