What is the role of the client certificate in a two way TLS handshake?

• A. Identifies the client to the server for mutual authentication
• B. Checks certificate revocation lists
• C. Identifies the server to the client for mutual authentication
• D. Provides HTTP basic authentication credentials

Answer: (A)

In a two-way TLS handshake, both sides prove their identity using certificates. The client certificate serves to identify the client to the server, enabling mutual authentication. When the server requests a client certificate, the client sends one, and the server validates it against trusted authorities and checks for revocation if configured. This allows the server to confirm who is connecting and decide what access to grant. The server’s identity is conveyed by the server’s own certificate, not the client’s, and HTTP basic authentication is unrelated to TLS certificates.