Which of the following is part of the TLS handshake?

• A. Client hello, server hello, certificate exchange, key exchange, premaster secret, session keys, finished messages
• B. HTTP request
• C. DNS resolution
• D. ARP broadcast

Answer: (A)

The TLS handshake is the process by which a client and server establish a secure, authenticated channel before any application data is sent. It starts with the client proposing protocol version and cipher suites, followed by the server’s selection and response. The server (and sometimes the client) exchanges certificates to prove identity. A key exchange then creates a shared secret (the premaster secret in traditional setups, or a derived secret with other methods), from which both sides derive session keys used to encrypt and authenticate the subsequent traffic. The handshake concludes with Finished messages that verify both parties have the same keys and that the handshake integrity is intact. The sequence that includes client hello, server hello, certificate exchange, key exchange, premaster secret, session keys, and finished messages is exactly what happens during a TLS handshake, so it is the correct description.

HTTP requests occur after the secure channel is established, not during the handshake. DNS resolution and ARP broadcasts operate at other layers (name resolution and local network addressing, respectively) and aren’t part of establishing the TLS handshake.