What cryptographic protocol is frequently used to enhance encryption on existing protocols?

TLS, or Transport Layer Security, is a cryptographic protocol designed to provide secure communication over a computer network. It is primarily used to enhance the security of protocols such as HTTP, leading to HTTPS (HTTP Secure). By encrypting the data transmitted between the client and server, TLS protects against eavesdropping and tampering, making it a critical element in ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of data in transit.

In addition to encrypting data, TLS provides authentication through the use of digital certificates, allowing users to verify the identity of the communicating parties. This dual function of encryption and authentication helps to build trust and secure communications over potentially insecure networks like the internet.

While other options like IPSec and SSH also provide encryption, they serve different purposes and contexts. IPSec is primarily utilized for securing IP communications by authenticating and encrypting each IP packet in a communication session, while SSH is mainly used for secure remote administration of systems. Therefore, TLS stands out as the most relevant protocol used specifically to enhance encryption on top of existing application-level protocols.