Secure Sockets Layer is a method of ensuring that information entered through a web site is protected from prying eyes. With SSL, information submitted on the web is first encrypted and submitted securely over the Internet, and then decrypted on the receiving end. SSL is most commonly used for credit card transactions but it can also be used for any sensitive data. By convention, the addresses of web pages that are transmitted using SSL start with https instead of http. This feature provides privacy, authentication and message integrity.