Performance Optimization for SSL/TLS

SSL/TLS can impact performance, but proper configuration minimizes overhead:

# Nginx SSL session cache optimization
ssl_session_cache shared:SSL:50m;
ssl_session_timeout 4h;
ssl_buffer_size 4k;

# Enable OCSP stapling for faster connections
ssl_stapling on;
ssl_stapling_verify on;
ssl_trusted_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/chain.pem;

# Early data (0-RTT) for TLS 1.3
ssl_early_data on;

# Apache SSL session cache optimization
SSLSessionCache shmcb:/var/cache/mod_ssl/scache(512000)
SSLSessionCacheTimeout 300

# Enable HTTP/2 for better performance
Protocols h2 http/1.1

Implementing proper SSL/TLS configuration is essential for web server security. Regular monitoring, testing, and updates ensure your encryption remains strong against evolving threats. In the next chapter, we'll explore security headers and CORS configuration to add additional layers of protection to your web server.## Security Headers and CORS Configuration

Security headers are HTTP response headers that provide an additional layer of protection against common web vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS), clickjacking, and data injection attacks. When properly configured on Apache or Nginx servers, these headers instruct browsers to enforce specific security policies, significantly reducing the attack surface of your web applications. This chapter explores comprehensive security header implementation, CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) configuration, and best practices for both Apache and Nginx servers.