Performance Optimization Strategies

Session resumption mechanisms dramatically improve HTTPS performance for returning visitors. Session IDs allow servers to cache session state and resume connections without full handshakes. Session tickets embed encrypted session state in client-stored tokens, enabling resumption without server-side storage. Both mechanisms reduce handshake overhead from two round trips to one, significantly improving connection establishment time.

OCSP stapling eliminates the performance and privacy impacts of certificate revocation checking. Without stapling, browsers must contact CA OCSP servers to verify certificate validity, adding latency and revealing browsing patterns. Stapling allows servers to fetch and cache OCSP responses, including them in the TLS handshake. This optimization removes external dependencies from the connection process while maintaining security.

Cipher suite selection significantly impacts performance. Modern AEAD ciphers like AES-GCM and ChaCha20-Poly1305 provide better performance than older CBC-mode ciphers. Elliptic curve cryptography offers equivalent security to RSA with smaller key sizes, reducing computational and bandwidth requirements. Prioritizing hardware-accelerated ciphers ensures optimal performance across diverse client devices.

TLS False Start and TCP Fast Open reduce latency by allowing data transmission before handshakes complete. These optimizations require careful implementation to maintain security but can reduce perceived latency for users. TLS 1.3's zero round-trip resumption provides similar benefits with stronger security guarantees. Enabling these features where supported improves user experience without compromising security.