What is SSL?
SSL is a protocol for cryptographically secure data exchange using popular Internet protocols, such as HTTP, FTP, TELNET, etc.
What is SSL certificate?
SSL certificates are used to verify that a public key belongs to its actual owner. The authentication of keys used for data exchange using the protocol is based on asymmetric cryptography. The traffic itself, meanwhile, is protected from unauthorized access using symmetric encryption. The message integrity is verified using message authentication codes (MACs).