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Mutual TLS

Mutual TLS (MTLS) is a security protocol that authenticates both clients and servers by requiring digital certificates. It provides encryption and prevents attacks. MTLS is important for sensitive applications like healthcare and banking and can be enabled on CDNs like Cloudflare after obtaining certificates, configuring the client and CDN, and testing.

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53 views5 pages

Mutual TLS

Mutual TLS (MTLS) is a security protocol that authenticates both clients and servers by requiring digital certificates. It provides encryption and prevents attacks. MTLS is important for sensitive applications like healthcare and banking and can be enabled on CDNs like Cloudflare after obtaining certificates, configuring the client and CDN, and testing.

Uploaded by

inception.me5
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Mutual TLS (Transport Layer Security),

Mutual TLS (Transport Layer Security), also known as mTLS, is a


security protocol that provides end-to-end encryption and
authentication for communication between two parties. Unlike
traditional TLS, which only authenticates the server to the client,
mTLS authenticates both the client and the server, making it a more
robust security protocol for sensitive applications.

Mutual TLS is a security protocol that helps to protect


communication between two parties, such as a client (like a web
browser) and a server (like a website). It works by requiring both the
client and the server to present digital certificates that verify their
identities, and by encrypting all data that is transmitted between
them.

Here’s an analogy that might help


Imagine you’re playing a secret game with your friend. You both
have a special badge that proves your identity, and you only let
people into the game if they have the right badge. But you also want
to keep your messages to each other secret, so you use a secret code
to write them down. You both have a special machine that can read
the code and turn it into plain text, but nobody else can read it
because they don’t have the machine.

When your web browser wants to talk to a website, it first asks the
website for its badge (called a digital certificate). The website sends
back the badge, and your browser checks to make sure it’s valid and
belongs to the right website. Then your browser sends its own badge
(called a client certificate) to the website, and the website checks it
to make sure you’re allowed to access its content. Once both sides
have verified each other’s identities, they use a special code (called
encryption) to scramble their messages so nobody else can read
them.

The Importance of Mutual TLS


Mutual TLS adds an extra layer of security to data transmission by
verifying the identity of both the server and the client. This prevents
man-in-the-middle attacks and ensures that only authorized parties
can access the data being transmitted. In addition, mTLS provides
protection against spoofing, replay attacks, and other forms of
cyber-attacks. Mutual TLS is particularly important in industries
such as healthcare, finance, and government, where sensitive data is
often transmitted over the internet.

Applications that should use Mutual TLS


Mutual TLS is recommended for any application that requires
secure data transmission and authentication of both the server and
the client. This includes web applications, mobile applications, and
API-based applications. Some examples of applications that should
use mutual TLS include online banking, electronic health records,
and secure file sharing.

CDNs that Support Mutual TLS


Several Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) support mutual TLS,
including Cloudflare, Akamai, and Amazon CloudFront. These CDNs
offer mTLS as a feature that can be enabled for specific domains or
applications.

Process to Activate Mutual TLS on CDNs

The process to activate mutual TLS on a CDN depends on the


specific CDN being used. Generally, the process involves the
following steps:

1. Obtain a TLS certificate: To enable mutual TLS, a TLS


certificate is required for both the client and the server. The
certificates can be obtained from a trusted Certificate
Authority (CA).

2. Configure the CDN: The CDN must be configured to


support mutual TLS. This typically involves enabling the
mTLS feature and uploading the TLS certificates.

3. Configure the client: The client must also be configured to


use mutual TLS. This may involve updating the client
software or configuring the client to use the TLS certificate.

4. Test and deploy: Once the configuration is complete, the


mutual TLS connection should be tested to ensure that data
is being transmitted securely. Once testing is complete, the
mTLS configuration can be deployed to production.to-CA-
certificate> <https-url

Command to test-
curl — cert <path-to-client-certificate> — key <path-to-client-key>
— cacert <path-to-CA-certificate> <https-url>
Here’s what each parameter means:

• --cert: Path to the client certificate file.

• --key: Path to the client private key file.

• --cacert: Path to the CA (Certificate Authority) certificate file


used to verify the server certificate.

• <https-url>: The URL of the server endpoint that requires


mutual TLS authentication.

For example, if you have the client certificate and key stored
in /path/to/client.crt and /path/to/client.key respectively, and the CA certificate
stored in /path/to/ca.crt, and you want to test the mutual TLS
connection to https://example.com, you can use the following command:

curl — cert /path/to/client.crt — key /path/to/client.key — cacert


/path/to/ca.crt https://example.com

This command will initiate a mutual TLS connection with the server
at https://example.com and verify the server's certificate using the CA
certificate at /path/to/ca.crt. If the connection is successful, you should
see the response from the server.

In conclusion, Mutual TLS is an essential security protocol for


applications that require secure data transmission and
authentication of both the server and the client. CDNs such as
Cloudflare, Akamai, and Amazon CloudFront support mutual TLS
and can be configured to enable this feature. While the process to
activate mutual TLS on a CDN may vary, it typically involves
obtaining TLS certificates, configuring the CDN, configuring the
client, and testing and deploying the configuration.

Quick Tip:

Activation on Akamai:

1. Generate a client certificate and key pair: You can use


OpenSSL or any other tool to generate a client certificate
and key pair. Ensure that the client certificate’s Common
Name (CN) matches the hostname that the client will use to
connect to the Akamai server.

2. Create an mTLS property in Akamai: In the Akamai portal,


create an mTLS property. Configure the property with the
appropriate certificate settings, including the client
certificate and key pair. Akamai Profesional service will be
required to activate the mTls setup.

3. Assign the mTLS property to a hostname: In the Akamai


portal, assign the mTLS property to the hostname or group
of hostnames that require mutual TLS authentication.

4. Update the client to use mutual TLS: Update the client


software to use the client certificate and key pair generated
in step 1.

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