Which of the following is done by Secure Sockets Layers (SSL)?

Concept: SSL (Secure Sockets Layer, the predecessor of TLS) is the cryptographic protocol that secures a client–server session over an untrusted network such as the internet. Its role has two parts working together: negotiating and establishing a private, authenticated connection (the handshake), and then encrypting every byte of application data before it travels across that connection so it stays confidential in transit.

Application: each statement below is one true action SSL carries out as part of a single session:

• Creates a secure, private connection to a web server — this is the handshake stage, where SSL/TLS negotiates keys and authenticates the server before any data moves.

• Encrypts information — once the channel exists, SSL encrypts the data flowing through it so it cannot be read or altered in transit.

• Sends information over the internet — the now-encrypted data is carried across the internet to the server as part of the same session.

Cross-check: drop any one of these and the protocol breaks down — without the handshake there is no connection to encrypt over, and without encryption the data would travel as plaintext, defeating the point of using SSL. Because connection setup, encryption, and secure delivery all happen together in a single SSL session, the accurate description spans all of the above.