OpenSSL is a software library that provides secure communication over computer networks against eavesdropping and identifies the party at the other end. It is an open-source implementation of the SSL and TLS protocols, which are internet security protocols that establish encrypted connections between computers on a network, such as the internet. OpenSSL is widely used by software developers and system administrators to implement secure communication and encryption in various applications, such as web servers, email servers, VPNs, and more.
OpenSSL is written in the C programming language and contains a core library that implements basic cryptographic functions and provides various utility functions. It offers an open-source application of the TLS protocol and allows users to perform various SSL-related tasks, including CSR (Certificate Signing Request) and private keys generation, and SSL certificate installation. OpenSSL is compatible with both Windows and Linux distributions.
OpenSSL is licensed under an Apache-style license, which means that it is free to get and use for commercial and non-commercial purposes subject to some simple license conditions. OpenSSL is supported on a number of platforms, including Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Some of the use cases of OpenSSL include secure communication between clients and servers, data encryption, certificate management, data integrity and authentication, random number generation, and secure protocols and algorithms. OpenSSL has been widely used and established cryptographic library for many years, and it has several advantages that have contributed to its popularity, including maturity and wide adoption, cross-platform support, and a large community of developers and users.
