What technology is primarily used for securing communication over a computer network?

The technology primarily used for securing communication over a computer network is Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). SSL is a standard security protocol that provides encrypted communication between a client and a server, ensuring that data transmitted remains private and integral. It is widely used to secure sensitive information, such as credit card numbers and personal data, especially during online transactions. The encryption provided by SSL helps protect against eavesdropping, tampering, and man-in-the-middle attacks, making it a key technology for establishing secure connections on the internet.

While other protocols are important for various functions, they do not primarily serve the same purpose of securing communications. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is the foundation of data communication on the web but does not inherently provide security without an accompanying layer like SSL. Internet Protocol Security (IPSec) is also designed for securing IP communications by encrypting and authenticating each IP packet in a communication session, but it operates at a different layer of the OSI model and is used for securing communications over Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) rather than general web traffic. Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used for sending emails and does not enforce secure transmission on its own, although it can be secured with additional protocols.

Thus, SSL stands out