D-Link xStack DXS-3350SR Installation & User Manual - Secure Socket Layer (Ssl)

DXS-3350SR Gigabit Layer 3 Switch 

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) 

Secure Sockets Layer or SSL is a security feature that will provide a secure communication path between a host and client 

through the use of authentication, digital signatures and encryption. These security functions are implemented through the 

use of a ciphersuite, which is a security string that determines the exact cryptographic parameters, specific encryption 

algorithms and key sizes to be used for an authentication session and consists of three levels: 

1. Key 

Exchange: The first part of the cyphersuite string specifies the public key algorithm to be used. This Switch 

utilizes the Rivest Shamir Adleman (RSA) public key algorithm and the Digital Signature Algorithm (DSA), 

specified here as the DHE DSS Diffie-Hellman (DHE) public key algorithm. This is the first authentication process 

between client and host as they “exchange keys” in looking for a match and therefore authentication to be accepted 

to negotiate encryptions on the following level.  

2. Encryption: The second part of the ciphersuite that includes the encryption used for encrypting the messages sent 

between client and host. The Switch supports two types of cryptology algorithms: 

Stream Ciphers – There are two types of stream ciphers on the Switch, RC4 with 40-bit keys and RC4 with 128-bit keys. 

These keys are used to encrypt messages and need to be consistent between client and host for optimal use.  

CBC Block Ciphers – CBC refers to Cipher Block Chaining, which means that a portion of the previously encrypted block 

of encrypted text is used in the encryption of the current block. The Switch supports the 3DES EDE encryption code defined 

by the Data Encryption Standard (DES) to create the encrypted text. 

3. Hash 

Algorithm: This part of the ciphersuite allows the user to choose a message digest function which will 

determine a Message Authentication Code. This Message Authentication Code will be encrypted with a sent 

message to provide integrity and prevent against replay attacks. The Switch supports two hash algorithms, MD5 

(Message Digest 5) and SHA (Secure Hash Algorithm). 

These three parameters are uniquely assembled in four choices on the Switch to create a three-layered encryption code for 

secure communication between the server and the host. The user may implement any one or combination of the ciphersuites 

available, yet different ciphersuites will affect the security level and the performance of the secured connection. The 

information included in the ciphersuites is not included with the Switch and requires downloading from a third source in a 

file form called a certificate. This function of the Switch cannot be executed without the presence and implementation of the 

certificate file and can be downloaded to the Switch by utilizing a TFTP server. The Switch supports SSLv3 and TLSv1. 

Other versions of SSL may not be compatible with this Switch and may cause problems upon authentication and transfer of 

messages from client to host. 

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