{"revision":"c10276e953456835cdbb1f3a60d58ae1980be353","document":{"id":1198,"path":"api-reference/web-services/c_OutboundRESTMutualAuthentication.md","title":"Outbound REST mutual authentication","bundle":null,"doc_type":null,"release":"australia","body":"\n# Outbound REST mutual authentication\n\nMutual authentication causes the web service provider and consumer to authenticate with each other before communicating.\n\nMutual authentication verifies the identity of both the client and the server during an outbound REST connection.\n\nWhen ServiceNow initiates an outbound REST request using mutual authentication, it presents a client certificate to the external server. The server validates the certificate and, if trusted, allows the connection to proceed. ServiceNow similarly validates the server certificate before completing the handshake.\n\nMutual authentication requires a client certificate and private key stored on the ServiceNow instance, and a server certificate issued by a trusted certificate authority \\(CA\\).\n\n**Note:** For information about mutual authentication for inbound web services, see [Certificate-based authentication](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/platform-security/certificate-based-authentication.md).\n\nFor information about using a custom HTTPS protocol profile to enable mutual authentication, see [Create a protocol profile](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/api-reference/web-services/t_CreateAProtocolProfile.md).\n\n**Parent Topic:**[Outbound REST authentication](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/api-reference/web-services/c_OutboundRESTAuth.md)\n\n"}}