“Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) Stripping Secure sockets layer (SSL) stripping is a man in the middle attack against all SSL and early versions of TLS connections. The attack is performed anywhere a man in the middle attack can happen, which makes wireless hotspots a prime location. The attack works by intercepting the initial connection request for HTTPS, redirecting it to an HTTP site, and then mediating in the middle. The reason the attack works is because the beginning of an SSL or TLS (v1.0 or v1.1) handshake is vulnerable to attack. The main defense is technical: only use TLS 1.2 or 1.3, as these versions have protections against the specific attack method.”