Transport Layer Security (TLS) concepts

The TLS protocol enables two parties to identify and authenticate each other and communicate with confidentiality and data integrity. The TLS protocol evolved from the Netscape SSL 3.0 protocol but TLS and SSL do not interoperate.

The TLS protocol provides communications security over the internet, and allow client/server applications to communicate in a way that is confidential and reliable. The protocols have two layers: a Record Protocol and a Handshake Protocol, and these are layered above a transport protocol such as TCP/IP. They both use asymmetric and symmetric cryptography techniques.

A TLS connection is initiated by an application, which becomes the TLS client. The application which receives the connection becomes the TLS server. Every new session begins with a handshake, as defined by the TLS protocols.

A full list of CipherSpecs supported by IBM MQ is provided at Enabling CipherSpecs.

For more information about the SSL protocol, see the information provided at http://www.mozilla.org/projects/security/pki/nss/ssl/draft302.txt. For more information about the TLS protocol, see the information provided by the TLS Working Group on the website of the Internet Engineering Task Force at http://www.ietf.org