What Does Internet Protocol Security Mean?
Internet protocol security (IPsec) is a set of protocols that provides security for Internet Protocol. It can use cryptography to provide security. IPsec can be used for the setting up of virtual private networks (VPNs) in a secure manner.
Also known as IP Security.
Techopedia Explains Internet Protocol Security
IPsec involves two security services:
- Authentication Header (AH): This authenticates the sender and it discovers any changes in data during transmission.
- Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP): This not only performs authentication for the sender but also encrypts the data being sent.
There are two modes of IPsec:
- Tunnel Mode: This will take the whole IP packet to form secure communication between two places, or gateways.
- Transport Mode: This only encapsulates the IP payload (not the entire IP packet as in tunnel mode) to ensure a secure channel of communication.