The two encryption protocols typically used to secure transmissions for email services are SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security).

Quick Scoop

When an email client talks to an email server (or one server talks to another), SSL and TLS are used to encrypt the connection so attackers on the network cannot easily read or tamper with the data in transit. TLS is the modern, improved successor to SSL and is the protocol that should be used today, but many explanations still mention both together as “SSL/TLS.”

Why SSL and TLS?

  • SSL : An older protocol that provided encrypted channels for email protocols like SMTP, IMAP, and POP3, historically referred to in terms like SMTPS or IMAPS.
  • TLS : The updated, more secure protocol that has largely replaced SSL and is now the standard for securing email transmissions in transit between clients and servers or between mail servers.

Answer for exams/interviews:
If you see the question “Which two encryption protocols might be used to secure transmissions for email services?” the expected answer is usually: SSL and TLS.