What danger does SSL traffic pose if not inspected?

SSL traffic poses a significant danger if not inspected because it can hide encrypted threats. When data is encrypted using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) or TLS (Transport Layer Security), it becomes unreadable to anyone inspecting the traffic unless they have the means to decrypt it. Malicious actors often use encryption to obfuscate their activities, which could include carrying out attacks, exfiltrating sensitive information, or delivering malware payloads. By not inspecting SSL traffic, organizations are essentially leaving a blind spot in their security posture, enabling potential threats to pass through undetected.

In scenarios where SSL traffic is not inspected, important security functions such as malware detection, data loss prevention, and intrusion detection may fail, potentially resulting in serious security breaches. This highlights the importance of decrypting and inspecting SSL traffic within a security infrastructure to protect against hidden threats.