TLS (Transport Layer Security) are cryptographic protocols that authenticate the connection and encrypt data when moving data over the Internet. In fact, you are reading this text now that has been sent to you via a secure SSL/TLS connection. In an SMS scenario, the sender side encrypts data and the receiving party decrypts it to access the details. The process requires a certificate, which can be procured from an authenticated source. When the connection is made, the certificate is authenticated. This means the two parties can exchange packets with confidentiality and integrity.

SSL/TLS text transfers are secure, but the increased complexity and, therefore, risk also depends upon the platform – whether it is built in SSL/TLS or done via proxy servers and if it can be self-managed or if an external party is needed to maintain.