SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) ensures data integrity by using message authentication codes (MACs) and digital signatures.
When two parties communicate using SSL/TLS, they establish a secure channel by negotiating a symmetric encryption key. Once the key is established, SSL/TLS adds a MAC to every message sent between the parties. The MAC ensures that the message has not been tampered with during transmission. If someone attempts to modify the message, the MAC will not match, and the recipient will know that the message has been altered.
SSL/TLS also uses digital signatures to ensure data integrity. The server sends its digital certificate to the client, and the client verifies the certificate’s signature to ensure that it was issued by a trusted certificate authority (CA). The client also verifies that the certificate matches the domain name of the server it is communicating with. This prevents attackers from using a fake certificate to trick the client into communicating with a malicious server.
In summary, SSL/TLS uses MACs and digital signatures to ensure that messages are not tampered with during transmission and that the client is communicating with a trusted server.
