What Is TLS/SSL Offloading?

TLS/SSL Offloading Definition

A common misconception about TLS/SSL encryption is that a person’s computer connects directly with a web server and information is sent directly between the two. In reality, the information can be sent to a separate machine or to a different processing device on the same machine. This process is known as TLS/SSL offloading.

How Does TLS/SSL Offloading Work?

Offloading works by taking on the processing load of encryption on a separate device or machine than is being used for the application processing. To configure this process, organizations route TLS/SSL requests to an application delivery control that intercepts the TLS/SSL traffic, decrypts the traffic, and then forwards the traffic to a web server. To configure end-to-end encryption, you must import a valid certificate and key and bind them to the web server.

Types of TLS/SSL Offloading

There are two different ways to accomplish TLS/SSL offloading.

TLS/SSL Termination

TLS/SSL termination is the simpler approach of the two. In this process, encrypted traffic is intercepted before it hits your servers and decrypted on a dedicated TLS/SSL termination device instead of the application server. Then the decrypted data is forwarded on to the application server.

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TLS/SSL Bridging

TLS/SSL bridging adds another layer of security by performing extra checks for malware. Incoming data is decrypted, inspected for malicious code, then is re-encrypted and sent on to the web server. This form of TLS/SSL offloading is meant to increase security rather than reduce processing activities on the application server.

Benefits of TLS/SSL Offloading

Organizations that handle a lot of encrypted data would benefit from TLS/SSL offloading so application servers can focus on their primary tasks rather than encryption. Reduced TLS/SSL workload can lead to:

• Faster pagespeeds
• Quicker response from the application server
• Enhanced stability of the website

Depending on what load balancer you’re using, TLS/SSL offloading can also help with HTTPS inspection, reverse-proxying, cookie persistence, and traffic regulation. Attackers can hide in encrypted traffic, and the ability to inspect encrypted HTTPS traffic could save your organization from severe attacks.

Keep Your Applications Running Smoothly

Make sure your applications are running securely and efficiently by implementing TLS/SSL offloading. Offloading only works with valid certificates, so certificate lifecycle management is another crucial component of a healthy network. Make sure to keep track of all TLS/SSL certificates in use at your organization and when they expire so they don’t cause a certificate-related outage.

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Encrypting data can introduce latency to connections because of the amount of computer processing that it requires. That’s where TLS/SSL offloading comes into play. This method can improve your page loading speeds and user experience. TLS/SSL offloading can also be used to introduce additional security checks for malware.