Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.10.20
What measures protect sensitive communication against SSL interception?
Use trusted networks and devices, check the certificate issuer, and prefer mechanisms that do not depend only on the local trust store: certificate pinning, mutual TLS, phishing-resistant logins, a trusted VPN, and Certificate Transparency monitoring.
For users:
- Use e-banking and similar services only on networks you trust; on public hotspots, a VPN to a trusted endpoint moves the "gateway" out of the hotspot operator's hands.
- Never click through certificate warnings; read the issuer when in doubt.
- Do not install unknown root certificates or "security profiles" when a network or app asks.
For applications and organisations:
- Certificate or public-key pinning in mobile and desktop apps: the app accepts only the expected certificate or key, so an interceptor's CA does not help, even if it is in the system trust store.
- Mutual TLS and FIDO2/passkeys: the client's proof is bound to the real server or origin, so a proxy cannot simply relay the credential.
- HSTS (with preloading) so browsers never accept plain HTTP or click-through warnings.
- Certificate Transparency monitoring and CAA records to detect or prevent mis-issued certificates for your domains.
- Govern the internal PKI: issue sub-CA certificates only under strict control and with name constraints; if TLS inspection is operated, declare it, exclude banking/health categories, and make the proxy validate upstream certificates properly.
Go deeper:
CISA: HTTPS Interception Weakens TLS Security — recommendations for organisations that run interception.
Wikipedia: Certificate Transparency — how public logs expose fraudulent certificates.
Wikipedia: HTTP Strict Transport Security — preloading and the no-click-through rule.