Top 5 Courses to Learn SSL and TLS in Depth in 2024 - Best of Lot

For those who are new to this, SSL and TLS are protocols that encrypt internet traffic and make sure that all the communications through the internet are secure and safe. TLS can actually be seen as a descendant of SSL which provides encryption and makes internet commerce possible. Both the protocols receive continuous updates so that it is ready to fight against sophisticated attacks from malicious hackers. SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layers and was developed in the mid-1990s by the company Netscape, which also made the most popular web browser of that time. The major version of SSL was SSL 3.0, which was released in 1996, and provided a strong level of encryption. 

The next version of the protocol was released in 1999 and was called Transport Layer Security, or TLS. It was standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force in the same year. Both the protocols receive continuous updates and are often spoken together as SSL/TLS.

TLS is most commonly used to encrypt web traffic, along with other forms of internet traffic. The easiest way to check if your browser is protected by TLS is to see if the URL in your address bar starts with "https". You will also see a padlock indicator next to the website address.

5 Best Online Courses to Learn SSL and TLS in 2024

Here we have compiled a list of the 5 Best Courses to Learn SSL and TLS. Check out the list below.

1. The Complete SSL and TLS Guide 2024: HTTP and HTTPS [Udemy]

As the title suggests, this course is a complete package. You will start the course by learning how to install SSL/TLS certificates on your web server. Once you purchase this course from Udemy, you will get full lifetime access to more than 11 hours of on-demand video lectures and 2 articles.

The course will also teach you the various differences between HTTP and HTTPS. You will also learn more about the structure of a TLS certificate. By the end of this course, you will be able to install and configure the Nginx web server for SSL/TLS encryption.

Course Duration: 11 hours

Course Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Course Instructor: Bogdan Stashchuk

Course Price: $16

2. Learning SSL/TLS [LinkedIn Learning]

This one is one of the most highly-rated beginner-level courses on the LinkedIn Learning platform, which means that it is perfect if you are new to SSL/TLS. You will be able to use this course to learn the skills you need to plan, implement, and maintain a public key infrastructure ecosystem that supports SSL/TLS security certificates. 

The instructor of this course is Daniel Lachance, who is a consultant, trainer, author, and editor at Lachance IT Consulting. In this course, you will also learn how to install and configure PKI solutions in both Windows and Linux. 

Course Duration: 3 hours

Course Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Course Instructor: Daniel Lachance

Course Price: $12 per month for an annual subscription

By the way, you would need a LinkedIn Learning membership to watch this course which costs around $29.99 per month but you can also watch this course for FREE by taking their 1-month-free-trail which is a great way to explore their 17000+ online courses on the latest technology.

3. Network Security - Protocols [edX]

This one is slightly different from all the other courses on this list. This course has a more broad outlook and focuses on all the different network protocols in existence. You will start by learning the fundamentals of network security.

Then you will move on to more advanced topics, including cryptographic algorithms used in network protocols like TLS/SSL, IPSec Layer 2 Security, and Wireless Security. The course is part of a larger bundle on Cybersecurity Fundamentals MicroBachelors program that is provided by New York University.

Course Duration: 5 weeks

Course Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Course Instructor: Aspen Olsted

Course Price: $165

4. Implement SSL Offload for Citrix ADC [Pluralsight]

In this course, you will learn how to use the power of SSL on Citrix ADC so that you can securely deliver your applications with the help of the SSL offload feature. This is a very useful feature that will help you in protecting your environment while leveraging the workload on your back-end servers.

Through this course, you will also learn how to deploy a Citric ADC application using Microsoft Azure. You will start by learning how to build your application from scratch to a fully functional SSL virtual server. 

Course Duration: 2 hours

Course Rating: 4.4 stars out of 5

Course Instructor: Jean Francois Landry

Course Price: $120 for a one-year subscription

Though, you would need a Pluralsight membership to join this course which costs around $29 per month or $299 per year (14% discount). I highly recommend this subscription to all programmers as it provides instant access to more than 7000+ online courses to learn any tech skill. Alternatively, you can also use their 10-day-free-pass to watch this course for FREE.

5. SSL/TLS Fundamentals [Udemy]

In this course, you will learn how certificates are issued managed, and also how to configure a website with a

certificate. The course will also teach you about symmetric and asymmetric encryption. 

By using this course, you will also learn about acquiring a web certificate and a code-signing certificate. You will also learn how to configure a TLS VPN, as well as how to secure files and folders with EFS.

Course Duration: 3 hours

Course Rating: 4.3 stars out of 5

Course Instructor: Danny L

Course Price: $16

SSL and TLS Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is SSL and TLS?

SSL and TLS are protocols that encrypt internet traffic and make sure that all the communications through the internet are secure and safe. TLS can actually be seen as a descendant of SSL which provides encryption and makes internet commerce possible. Both the protocols receive continuous updates so that it is ready to fight against sophisticated attacks from malicious hackers.

2. Is SSL safe?

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layers and was developed in the mid-1990s by the company Netscape, which also made the most popular web browser of that time. The major version of SSL was SSL 3.0, which was released in 1996, and provided a strong level of encryption. 

3. How do I know if I have TLS?

The easiest way to check if your browser is protected by TLS is to see if the URL in your address bar starts with "https". You will also see a padlock indicator next to the website address. 

Conclusion

As you can see, I have kept my end of the promise. Now the ball is in your court. The only thing you need to do is pick a course from this list and start learning. Don't worry, you can thank me later. So what are you waiting for? Start learning.

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