SSL: Site Security And Privacy Netscape began using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) in 1994 as a means of sending sensitive data over the web. The newer edition of the service is called Transport Layer Security (TLS), although even this is routinely known by the SSL designation.
Before the introduction of SSL it was difficult to ensure privacy over the web in online transactions. There was a general distrust of the ability to conduct online transactions and a fear that an individual’s credit card information could be picked up by a third party and used for unauthorized purchases.