TLS stands for Transport Layer Security. It is also known by its older name SSL (Secure Sockets Layer).
Simply put, TLS is TCP + Security.
TLS provides the following security mechanisms:
- Authentication. By using certificates (client side, server side or both), each side to the connection can authenticate the credentials of its peer
- Integrity. Data sent over TLS cannot be modified without the recipient being aware the data has been tampered with
- Privacy. Data sent over TLS is encrypted and cannot be viewed by third parties
While TLS isn’t directly used by WebRTC, most implementations of WebRTC services are encouraged to use it.
HTTPS runs on top of TLS.
DTLS is the “UDP variant” of TLS.
