The SSL/TLS protocol uses public key cryptography to encrypt and decrypt network traffic. The public key used to encrypt and decrypt traffic is stored in an SSL certificate that can be self-signed or signed. A self-signed certificate is signed by the creator of the certificate. Because the identity of the signer is not verified, a self-signed certificate is less secure than a signed certificate. A signed certificate is an SSL certificate that has the identity of the person who requested the certificate verified by a certificate authority (CA). Informatica recommends CA signed certificates for a higher level of security.