SSL connections primarily use which type of key for encryption?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) connections primarily use both public and private keys in the process of establishing a secure connection, but the encryption of the actual data during the session is achieved using symmetric keys. During the SSL handshake, the client and server exchange their public keys to authenticate each other and then establish a secure session. Once this is established, they generate a symmetric session key, which is used for encrypting the data transferred between them.

The public key is utilized to encrypt data that only the corresponding private key can decrypt, ensuring confidentiality during the connection initiation. However, for the efficient and quick encryption of the session data—such as the communication that occurs after the handshake—a symmetric key is employed. Symmetric encryption is faster than asymmetric encryption, which is why it is the chosen method for maintaining the encryption of data once the secure connection is established.

In summary, while asymmetric (public and private) keys are crucial for the initial connection setup in SSL, it is the symmetric key that is primarily used for encrypting the actual data transmitted over the SSL connection, which is why the focus should be on symmetric key encryption in this context.