Which technology enhances secure communication over the internet?

The choice of TLS as the correct answer stems from its critical role in securing communications over the internet. Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a cryptographic protocol designed to provide secure communication over a computer network. It encrypts the data transmitted between two parties to prevent eavesdropping and tampering, thereby ensuring data integrity and privacy.

When TLS is implemented, it creates a secure channel, commonly recognized through the "https://" designation in web URLs. This indicates that the data exchanged between the user's browser and the web server is encrypted, significantly reducing the risk of interception by malicious actors.

In contrast, the other technologies listed do not provide the same level of security. SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) is primarily used for sending emails but does not include built-in security features, which is why it can be vulnerable to attacks such as email spoofing. FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is used for transferring files over the network, but it transmits data in plaintext, which makes it less secure. Finally, HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the foundation of data communication on the World Wide Web, but, like SMTP and FTP, it does not offer encryption, exposing users to potential security risks when transmitting sensitive information. Thus, TLS stands out as