Difference between Flexible, Full and Full (strict) in Cloudflare

It's important to understand the differences between the SSL modes available in Cloudflare (Flexible, Full, and Full (strict)) in order to choose the one that provides the appropriate level of security for your website.

Using Cloudflare's SSL options can help you protect your website and users by encrypting data in transit. However, the level of security and validation varies depending on the SSL mode you choose.

For example, if you use the Flexible SSL mode, your website will have a valid SSL certificate, but the connection between Cloudflare and your web server will not be encrypted. This means that sensitive data could potentially be intercepted between Cloudflare and your web server.

On the other hand, if you use Full (strict) SSL mode, Cloudflare will only allow connections if the SSL certificate on your web server is valid and matches the domain name. This provides a higher level of security and validation to ensure that the SSL certificate is trusted and issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA).

Therefore, comparing the different SSL modes available in Cloudflare is important to ensure that you choose the one that provides the appropriate level of security for your website and protects your users' data in transit.

Flexible, Full, and Full (strict) are different SSL modes available in Cloudflare.

1. Flexible SSL mode means that the connection between the user and Cloudflare is encrypted, but the connection between Cloudflare and your web server is not. This means that your website will have a valid SSL certificate, but the connection between Cloudflare and your web server will not be encrypted.
2. Full SSL mode means that the connection between the user and Cloudflare is encrypted, and the connection between Cloudflare and your web server is also encrypted. In this mode, Cloudflare will try to verify your SSL certificate, but if it cannot verify it, the connection will still be encrypted.
3. Full (strict) SSL mode is similar to Full SSL mode, but with an additional requirement that your web server must have a valid SSL certificate that matches the domain name. In this mode, Cloudflare will verify the SSL certificate on your web server, and only allow connections if the certificate is valid and matches the domain name.

Which is more advanced

Full (strict) SSL mode is more advanced and provides a higher level of security than Full SSL mode in Cloudflare.

In Full SSL mode, Cloudflare will try to verify the SSL certificate on your web server, but if it cannot verify it, the connection will still be encrypted. This means that an attacker could potentially create a fake or self-signed SSL certificate and intercept the connection between Cloudflare and your web server.

In Full (strict) SSL mode, Cloudflare will only allow connections if the SSL certificate on your web server is valid and matches the domain name. This provides an extra layer of security to ensure that the SSL certificate is trusted and issued by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA).

Therefore, Full (strict) SSL mode is a more advanced SSL mode and provides a higher level of security for your website.

In summary, the main difference between Flexible, Full, and Full (strict) SSL modes in Cloudflare is the level of encryption and validation of SSL certificates between the user, Cloudflare, and your web server. Full (strict) SSL mode provides the highest level of security and validation, while Flexible SSL mode provides the lowest level of security and no SSL validation between Cloudflare and your web server.