Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol designed to provide secure communication over a computer network, most commonly the internet. Developed as an improvement over its predecessor, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), TLS aims to ensure the privacy and data integrity between two communicating applications. When you see "https://" in a web URL, it indicates that the communication between your browser and the server is encrypted using TLS. The protocol uses asymmetric cryptography for key exchange, symmetric encryption to maintain confidentiality, and message authentication codes to ensure data integrity. The widespread adoption of TLS is a cornerstone in the modern internet's security architecture, safeguarding everything from e-commerce transactions to private communications.