Increase the security and stability of applications by developing or modifying them with embedded SSL and TLS cryptographic protocols. The suite supports console commands and a database for generating personal keys and certificates with Blowfish, MD5, SHA-1, DES or AES.
The OpenSSL Project is a collaborative effort to develop a robust, commercial-grade, full-featured, and Open Source toolkit implementing the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL v2/v3) and Transport Layer Security (TLS v1) protocols as well as a full-strength general purpose cryptography library. The project is managed by a worldwide community of volunteers that use the Internet to communicate, plan, and develop the OpenSSL toolkit and its related documentation.
Comments (3)
Recommended if you are a user; and not a software developer/programmer, or you are someone who does not know how to take the program's source code & compile it for a specific hardware & software platform (or even if you can, does not want to spend the time & effort doing it & testing it).
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FYI for prepared complied builds & installers for Microsoft Windows, I found recommended links under the OpenSSL.org site.
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OpenSSL for Windows (Win32 OpenSSL, Win32 OpenSSL Installation Project, OpenSSL Win32 Installer Team; provided by Shining Light Productions)
http://www.slproweb.com/products/Win32OpenSSL.html
They provide both Win32 (32-bit) (runs under 32-bit & 64-bit Windows), & Win64 (64-bit) (runs under 64-bit Windows only) builds/packages.
Win32 OpenSSL v1.0.1g Light
Win64 OpenSSL v1.0.1g Light
I just got the Light package, to update my existing installation, all I needed, minimal OpenSSL components/libraries themselves; since I am just a user, not a developer or need to develop for this. They do provide other packages with additional development & testing software, or in case the Light package is not enough for your needs.
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Alert! Security vulnerability fixes. If you already have this installed, or need to install it, to insure you get OpenSSL (SSL) with fix for the recently discovered OpenSSL Heartbeat bug security vulnerability (TLS heartbeat read overrun (CVE-2014-0160)), then recommend you get OpenSSL at least version >= 1.0.1g (or greater).
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I do not know much about OpenSSL, I am just a user who has it installed for other software or services to use that supports or uses it (most software & services that use it normally include its own copy, & if so they will need to provide updates that include the security fixes).
The Software Informer client, installed in my Windows, notified me of the update (name OpenSSL Light), so I researched it & got it the update. Especially due to the recent discovery & fixes for the OpenSSL Heartbeat security vulnerability.
SSL (&TLS) are huge secure/private communication standards, used everywhere & by most software & services that have secure communication & connection abilities; OpenSSL is one of the developed software packages (libraries) to provide these features for other software, & is very popularly used to provide these features; so it is used pervasively in software & services, online/Internet & on local devices.
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I am not sure if any of this info could or should go in the Wiki, or "Questions & answers".