“TLS Demystified: Certificates, Keys, and Trust in Practice” – Илиян Илиев

In modern days, TLS is no longer a nice-to-have — it’s a base requirement for internet communication. And as one of those things that are “just there,” it remains a black box for many of us. In this talk, we’ll take a practical look at how TLS works and what it brings. We’ll explore the basics of symmetric and asymmetric encryption, how certificates and certificate chains establish trust, and how the TLS handshake secures communication. We’ll also touch on mutual TLS (mTLS), common pitfalls in certificate management, and a few real-world cases where the trust model has failed.