What is Transport Layer Security?
{{IPstack}} {{nosources|date=April 2009}} '''Transport Layer Security''' ('''TLS''') Protocol and its predecessor, '''Secure Sockets Layer''' ('''SSL'''), are [[cryptographic protocol]]s that provide [[security]] and [[data integrity]] for communications over [[TCP/IP]] networks such as the [[Internet]]. Several versions of the protocols are common in applications such as [[e-mail|electronic mail]], [[instant messaging]] and [[Voice over Internet Protocol|voice-over-IP (VoIP)]]. == Description == The TLS protocol allows applications to communicate across a network in a way designed to prevent [[eavesdropping]], [[Tamper|tampering]], and [[message forgery]]. TLS provides [[endpoint]] [[authentication]] and [[information security|communications confidentiality]] over the [[Internet]] using [[cryptography]]. Most of the time, only the [[server]] is [[Authentication|authenticated]] (''i.e.'', its identity is ensured) while the client remains unauthenticated; this means that the end user (whether an individual or an application, such as a [[Web browser]]) can be sure with whom it is communicating. The next level of security is known as [[mutual authentication]]. Mutual authentication requires [[public key infrastructure]] (PKI) deployment to clients unless [[TLS-PSK]] or the [[Secure remote password protocol|Secure Remote Password]] protocol are used, which provide strong mutual authentication without needing to deploy a PKI. == Usage == SSL and TLS have been widely used in several [[open source]] software projects. Programmers may use the [[OpenSSL]], [[Network Security Services|NSS]], or [[GnuTLS]] libraries for SSL/TLS functionality. [[Microsoft Windows]] includes SSL and TLS as part of its [[Security Support Provider Interface|Secure Channel]] package. [[Delphi]] programmers may use a library called [[Internet Direct|Indy]]. == Standards == The current approved version is 1.2, which is specified in: * [[Rfc:8446 |RFC 8446 ]]: “The Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol Version 1.3”. Versions yet to be depreca