What essential component does a client need to have for two-way TLS?

For two-way TLS (Transport Layer Security) to function properly, the client must possess a keystore containing a private key. This keystore serves a critical role in the authentication process. When a client initiates a connection to a server, it presents its own certificate, which is signed by a trusted certificate authority (CA). This certificate is used to demonstrate the client's identity.

The private key associated with the client's certificate is stored in the keystore. It allows the client to establish a secure connection by encrypting information that can only be decrypted by the corresponding public key on the server's side. Without the private key in the keystore, the client would not be able to prove its identity during the TLS handshake, rendering two-way authentication ineffective.

While a local truststore and the client's public certificate are important elements in the TLS setup, they do not replace the necessity of having a keystore with a private key for the client's authentication. The dedicated server is also important for establishing the connection, but it does not fulfill the client-side requirement in the context of two-way TLS.