TLS stands for “Transport Layer Security”. This protocol ensures privacy and data security between two communicating applications. A TLS certificate is a type of digital certificate that provides authentication for a web service and enables an encrypted connection.

Here are some key points to understand about a TLS certificate:

•  Authentication: The TLS certificate provides authentication to the website or server to which you are connected. This is done via a process known as the TLS handshake, where the server presents its certificate for the client to verify. This prevents a type of attack known as man-in-the-middle attack, where an attacker impersonates the server to intercept or alter the data being exchanged.
• Encryption: The certificate also enables encryption, which means that the data sent between the server and the client is secured and can’t be read by anyone else. The level of encryption depends on the type of key being used and also the type of encryption protocol.
• Integrity: With a TLS certificate, the data transferred between two parties cannot be tampered with without detection. This ensures the integrity of data in transit.
• Trust: Usually web browsers give visual cues, such a padlock icon, to indicate when a connection is secured with a TLS certificate. This gives visitors confidence that their data will not be tampered with or eavesdropped upon.

LND’s TLS Certificate

The TLS certificate is a prerequisite for connecting with some LND applications, such as the Lightning Terminal, also from LND. You can download the TLS certificate in the “Connect” menu if you’re using a Voltage Lightning Node. You can also find the TLS Certificate in the default configuration folder of LND, usually under ~/.lnd/tls.cert