What is a TLS/SSL Handshake?

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The following is a standard TLS/SSL Handshake when the RSA key exchange algorithm is used:

Client Hello - Information that the server needs to communicate with the client using SSL. This includes the SSL version number, cipher settings, session-specific data.
Server Hello - Information that the server needs to communicate with the client using SSL. This includes the SSL version number, cipher settings, session-specific data.
Authentication and Pre-Master Secret - Client authenticates the server certificate. (e.g. Common Name / Date / Issuer) Client (depending on the cipher) creates the pre-master secret for the session, Encrypts with the server's public key and sends the encrypted pre-master secret to the server.
Decryption and Master Secret - Server uses its private key to decrypt the pre-master secret. Both Server and Client perform steps to generate the master secret with the agreed cipher.
Encryption with Session Key - Both client and server exchange messages to inform that future messages will be encrypted.

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