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This is done by by simply prefixing the URL by "https" as opposed to "http". For example:

http://server.domain.com/index.html

https://server.domain.com/index.html

Here in detail are the steps taken during a SSL transaction:

1. The client sends a request for a document to be transmitted using the HTTPS protocol by prefixing the URL with "https".
2. The server sends its certificate to the client.
3. The client checks if the certificate was issued by a Certificate Authority (CA) it trusts. If not, it gives the user the option to continue or to terminate the transaction.
4. The client compares the information in the certificate with the information it just received concerning the site: its domain name and its public key. If the information matches, the client accepts the site as authenticated.
5. The client tells the server what ciphers, or encryption algorithms, it can communicate with.
6. The server chooses the strongest common cipher and informs the client.
7. The client generates a private (or session) key using the agreed cipher.
8. The client then encrypts the session key using the server's public key and sends it to the server.
9. The server receives the encrypted session key and decrypts it with its private key.
10. The client and the server then use the session key for the rest of the transaction.