Transport layer security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol designed to secure communications over a computer network. TLS ensures data privacy, integrity, and authentication between applications, such as web browsers and servers, by encrypting the data transmitted. This protocol is widely used to protect sensitive information, such as online banking transactions, email communications, and data exchanges, from eavesdropping and tampering. TLS is the successor to the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol and provides enhanced security features and performance improvements, making it the standard for secure internet communications.