DTLS-SRTP (DTLS Extension to Establish Keys for SRTP)

Also known as: RFC 5764

DTLS-SRTP (RFC 5764) is a keying mechanism that runs a DTLS handshake over the media path to derive SRTP master keys, binding the media session to certificate fingerprints exchanged in SDP over signalling. It is the standard media-plane key agreement for WebRTC and is increasingly adopted in modern IMS deployments as a stronger alternative to SDES, whose keys travel in the clear inside SIP.

Categories: Security ControlsProtocols and StandardsEncryption and Cryptography

DTLS-SRTP in context

Security controls span signaling firewalls (SS7/Diameter/GTP screening), transport encryption (IPsec, TLS, PRINS), identity and access on OSS/BSS, and monitoring at both packet and log level. Controls are audited against GSMA FS.11/FS.19/FS.20/FS.36.

Telecom security is written into standards from 3GPP, GSMA, ETSI, IETF and ITU-T. Understanding which body owns which specification, and how they interlock, is essential for both design and audit work.

To place DTLS-SRTP in the wider telecom-security picture, review SRTP, HKDF, XMPP, NAF, DoT and DOCSIS: each entry cross-references back to this page so you can walk the topic in either direction.

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