Digital Trust Layer (DTL)

 

Definition

Digital Trust Layer (DTL) is the Layer 4.5 transport protocol that embeds cryptographic identity, trust windows, VTZ metadata, and session integrity into every packet.

 

Why It Matters

IP and TLS do not express identity. DTL fixes this, making impersonation, replay, spoofing, and lateral movement mathematically infeasible by enforcing identity before routing and trust before transport.

 

How It Works

DTL signs each packet with TrustKey, enforces trust windows, validates nonces, applies VTZ‑scoped policies, and ensures that routing decisions occur only after identity validation. DTL remains encrypted end‑to‑end—even across TrustGateway deployments.

 

Related Terms

TrustKey, TrustGateway, TrustFlow, VTZ, UTTP

 

FAQ

Q: Does it replace TLS?

A: No—DTL sits beneath TLS and enforces identity before transport.

Q: Does it require IP changes?

A: No—DTL overlays existing networking.

Q: Does it decrypt at gateways?

A: Never. DTL remains encrypted end‑to‑end.