What is the purpose of Transport Layer Security (TLS) in networking?

Transport Layer Security (TLS) plays a crucial role in securing communications over a computer network. The primary purpose of TLS is to establish secure connections between clients and servers by encrypting the data that is transmitted between them. This encryption ensures that the information exchanged remains confidential and is protected from eavesdroppers and unauthorized access.

When a TLS connection is initiated, it involves a handshake process that establishes a secure session. During this handshake, the client and server agree on various security parameters, including which encryption algorithms to use, and they authenticate each other to prevent man-in-the-middle attacks. This secure layer is essential for various applications, particularly for web browsing, email, and any service where data protection is critical.

While the other options mention functions that are important in networking, such as assigning IP addresses or transmitting web pages and transferring files, they do not pertain to the specific function of TLS, which is fundamentally about establishing secure connections.