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* SSL Decryption Series: Wh...

# SSL Decryption Series: Why Decrypt?

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By [Navneet Singh](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/author/navneet-singh/?ts=markdown "Posts by Navneet Singh")  
Sep 24, 2018  
2 minutes  
[Firewall](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/firewall/?ts=markdown)  
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[malware](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/tag/malware/?ts=markdown)  
[SSL Decryption](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/tag/ssl-decryption/?ts=markdown)

*Encrypted internet traffic is on an explosive upturn. According to the Google® Transparency Report: "Users load more than half of the pages they view over HTTPS and spend two-thirds of their time on HTTPS pages."[**\[1\]**](#_ftn1){#\_ftnref1} At the same time, encrypted traffic carried nearly 3.5 million unique malware samples in 2017. In this series, we'll dive into the case for decryption, including where and how you should enable it to meet your company's needs.*

Encryption is a great means for secure and private business information exchange, and it is necessary for compliance. However, as encrypted traffic is essentially opaque data, it leaves organizations blind to the security threats contained inside. Unfortunately, cyber criminals have learned to exploit this lack of visibility and identification to hide from security surveillance and deliver malware.

Legitimate websites that use SSL can be infected with malware. Moreover, attackers increasingly use SaaS applications to deliver malware. An attacker can place an infected file in a legitimate shared folder in an organization's sanctioned file storage application, such as Box or Dropbox®, and from there, the infected file can easily spread to users who sync their files with the folder.

![fig1-ssl-decryption](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/fig1-ssl-decryption.png)

Without the ability to decrypt, classify, control and scan encrypted traffic, it's impossible for an organization to adequately protect its business and its valuable data from modern threats. This is where decryption -- the ability to decrypt, inspect and re-encrypt internet traffic before it is sent to its destination -- comes into play.

Decryption, one of the "[10 Things Your Next Firewall Must Do](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/apps/pan/public/downloadResource?pagePath=/content/pan/en_US/resources/whitepapers/10-things-your-next-firewall-must-do)," is required for several security-related actions, including threat prevention, advanced malware prevention, file blocking, data filtering and blocking of malicious web and application traffic. We invite you to attend our webinar this Thursday, September 27 to learn the "how and whys" of SSL Decryption and get your questions answered live. [Click here to register](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/campaigns/brighttalk.html?commid=332178).

[\[1\]](#_ftnref1){#\_ftn1} [https://transparencyreport.google.com/https/overview?hl=en](https://transparencyreport.google.com/https/overview?hl=en)

*** ** * ** ***

## Related Blogs

### [Firewall](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/firewall/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown), [Secure the Enterprise](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-enterprise/?ts=markdown)

[#### Best Practices for Enabling SSL Decryption](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2018/11/best-practices-enabling-ssl-decryption/)

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[#### SSL Decryption Series: The Security Impact of HTTPS Interception](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2018/10/ssl-decryption-series-security-impact-https-interception/)

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[#### SSL Decryption Series: Next-Generation Firewall Buying Criteria for Your Decryption Needs](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2018/10/ssl-decryption-series-next-generation-firewall-buying-criteria-decryption-needs/)

### [Firewall](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/firewall/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown), [Secure the Enterprise](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-enterprise/?ts=markdown)

[#### SSL Decryption Series: Where Should You Decrypt?](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2018/10/ssl-decryption-series-decrypt-2/)

### [Endpoint](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/endpoint-2/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown), [Secure the Enterprise](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-enterprise/?ts=markdown)

[#### Protecting Endpoints From Day One](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2019/01/protecting-endpoints-day-one/)

### [Firewall](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/firewall/?ts=markdown), [Products and Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/products-and-services/?ts=markdown), [Secure the Enterprise](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/category/secure-the-enterprise/?ts=markdown)

[#### Scaling Panorama to New Heights](https://www2.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2018/09/scaling-panorama-new-heights/)

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