TLS and its predecessor,
Secure Sockets Layer (
SSL), are cryptographic protocols that are designed to provide over-the-wire communication
security. TLS and SSL provide network data privacy, data integrity, and
authentication.
TLS uses X.509 certificates and hence asymmetric cryptography to verify the party
with
whom they are communicating. As a consequence of choosing X.509 certificates, certificate
authorities and a public key infrastructure are necessary to verify the relationship
between a certificate and its owner, as well as to generate, sign, and administer
the validity of certificates.
In addition to providing encryption services, TLS performs client and server authentication,
and it uses message authentication codes to ensure data integrity.