What does SSL/TLS provide for web communications?

SSL/TLS provides secure and encrypted connections to protect data from interception during web communications. This is essential for maintaining the privacy and integrity of data transmitted between a client and server. When SSL/TLS is implemented, it establishes a secure channel over an unsecured network, such as the internet, ensuring that sensitive information like passwords, credit card numbers, and personal details are encrypted before being sent.

This encryption prevents unauthorized access to the data as it travels across the network, protecting against eavesdropping and man-in-the-middle attacks. By authenticating servers and clients, SSL/TLS also helps to ensure that data is sent to the correct destination, further enhancing security.

While enhancing website loading speed, compressing data, and identifying users may be relevant to internet communications, they do not constitute the primary functions of SSL/TLS. The core purpose of SSL/TLS is to ensure that web communications are secure and that data remains private throughout its transmission.