mbed TLS

Mbed TLS

mbed TLS is an open source cryptographic library that provides TLS and SSL capabilities for embedded devices. It is designed to be compact, fast, and flexible enough for both small and large embedded systems.
mbed TLS image
cryptography tls ssl embedded-systems

mbed TLS: Compact, Fast, and Flexible Open Source Cryptographic Library

mbed TLS is an open source cryptographic library that provides TLS and SSL capabilities for embedded devices. It is designed to be compact, fast, and flexible enough for both small and large embedded systems.

What is Mbed TLS?

mbed TLS, formerly known as PolarSSL, is an open source cryptographic and TLS/SSL library designed specifically for small, resource-constrained devices. It aims to make it easy for developers to deploy and use robust security features in embedded products such as smart meters, wearables, IoT devices, routers, and more.

Some key features of mbed TLS include:

  • Support for SSLv3, TLS1.0, TLS1.1, and TLS1.2 communication protocols
  • Variety of cryptographic algorithms including symmetric ciphers, public key cryptography, hashes, message authentication codes, and key derivation functions
  • Lightweight and modular architecture making it suitable for devices with very limited CPU and memory resources
  • Extensive OS and platform support including ThreadX, FreeRTOS, Windows, Linux, etc.
  • APIs in C designed for easy integration and optimum performance
  • Permissive Apache 2.0 and GPL 2.0 licensing

Overall, mbed TLS aims to give embedded developers an easy way to build security, cryptography, and TLS capabilities into their resource-constrained devices and applications.

Mbed TLS Features

Features

  1. TLS/SSL protocol implementation
  2. Cryptographic algorithms and ciphers
  3. X.509 certificate handling
  4. Authentication and encryption
  5. Hardware acceleration support
  6. Lightweight and modular codebase

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Compact code and small memory footprint

Highly configurable and customizable

Permissive Apache 2.0 license

Support for a wide range of platforms and architectures

Active development and maintenance

Cons

Limited native HTTPS server implementation

Lacks some advanced TLS features

Not as widely used as OpenSSL

Requires cryptographic expertise to configure securely

Limited hardware acceleration support


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