SSL/TLS context

The exchange of protected messages in an SSL/TLS session takes place within a security context, established by the communicating parties at the beginning of a secure communications session and discarded at the end of the session. A security context is information shared by the participants for:

• Authenticating the identity of the communicating parties at the beginning of the secure communications session and protecting that identity until the session closing.

• Protecting the integrity, authenticity (optional), and confidentiality (optional) of exchanged messages.

• Authenticating the identity of a message's sender through a digital signature.

• Protecting the confidentiality of messages through encryption techniques.