P-256 is a widely used elliptic curve in cryptography, specifically part of the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA). It is defined over a 256-bit prime field, providing a good balance between security and performance. This curve is favored for its efficiency in generating secure keys and signatures, making it suitable for various applications, including secure communications and digital signatures. The security of P-256 is based on the difficulty of the Elliptic Curve Discrete Logarithm Problem, which makes it challenging for attackers to derive private keys from public keys. As a result, it is commonly used in protocols like TLS and SSH to ensure secure data transmission over the internet.