In a two-way TLS configuration, what does the client present to the server?

In a two-way TLS (Transport Layer Security) configuration, the client presents a public certificate along with the corresponding private key to the server for authentication purposes. The public certificate contains the client's identity information and is shared openly, while the private key is kept confidential and is used to establish a secure connection.

The process begins with the client sending its public certificate to the server during the SSL/TLS handshake. This public certificate is signed by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA), which allows the server to verify the authenticity of the client. The server, in turn, can extract the public key from the certificate to encrypt messages that only the client can decrypt using its private key. This ensures that both parties can authenticate each other, which is a key component of two-way TLS.

The requirement for both the certificate and the corresponding private key arises from the need for secure communication and to establish trust between the client and the server, ensuring that only authorized clients can connect. This makes option C the correct answer, as it captures both elements necessary for successful client authentication in a two-way TLS scenario.