Protocol
DTLS
Datagram Transport Layer Security
TLS adapted for UDP: the same encryption for traffic that can arrive out of order or not at all.
TLS assumes a reliable connection (TCP), where data arrives complete and in order. DTLS gives the same guarantees over datagram transports such as UDP, which video calls, games, VPNs and IoT devices use because they favour speed over reliability. It adds sequence numbers and its own retransmission so the handshake survives lost packets. DTLS 1.3 is defined in RFC 9147.
DTLS in the news
Recent stories that mention it.
Related
- ProtocolTLS · Transport Layer SecurityThe encryption protocol behind HTTPS: it keeps traffic between two programs private and proves who the server is.
- TechnologyOpenSSLThe open-source library that much of the internet uses to speak TLS and do cryptography.
- TechnologyVPN · Virtual private networkAn encrypted tunnel that puts a remote device on a private network, as if it were plugged in at the office.
Plain-language explainers written by SecurityTabs, matched to stories by name. All terms