Integration of the digital signature in the protocol SSL/TLS

SSL/TLs is currently the most deployed security protocol on the Internet. SSL/TLS provides end-to-end secure communications between two entities with authentication and data protection. However, what is missing from the protocol is a way to provide the non-repudiation service. In this paper we describe a generic implementation of the non-repudiation service as an optional module in the SSL/TLS protocol. This approach provides both parties with evidence that the transaction has taken place and a clear separation with application design and development. We discuss the motivation for our approach and our proposed architecture.