Transport Layer Security

What Does Transport Layer Security Mean?

Transport layer security (TLS) is a protocol that provides communication security between client/server applications that communicate with each other over the Internet. It enables privacy, integrity and protection for the data that’s transmitted between different nodes on the Internet. TLS is a successor to the secure socket layer (SSL) protocol.

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Techopedia Explains Transport Layer Security

TLS primarily enables secure Web browsing, applications access, data transfer and most Internet-based communication. It prevents the transmitted/transported data from being eavesdropped or tampered. TLS is used to secure Web browsers, Web servers, VPNs, database servers and more. TLS protocol consists of two different layers of sub-protocols:

  • TLS Handshake Protocol: Enables the client and server to authenticate each other and select a encryption algorithm prior to sending the data
  • TLS Record Protocol: It works on top of the standard TCP protocol to ensure that the created connection is secure and reliable. It also provides data encapsulation and data encryption services.
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Margaret Rouse

Margaret Rouse is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical, business audience. Over the past twenty years her explanations have appeared on TechTarget websites and she's been cited as an authority in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine and Discovery Magazine.Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages. If you have a suggestion for a new definition or how to improve a technical explanation, please email Margaret or contact her…