What is the Purpose of IPSec?

IPSec provides the following four functions: authenticity, confidentiality, integrity, and replay protection.

Authenticity:  Confirms that data that is received is sent by original sender

Confidentiality:  Prevents any intermediary party to access and understand the data being sent

Integrity:  Confirms the data is not manipulated in any way during the transfer process

Replay Protection:  Prevents repetitive processing of the same packet once it has already been received

*  It is important to note that all four conditions do not necessarily need to be implemented simultaneously.

Internet Protocol Stack

Application

Presentation

Session

Transport - TCP

Network - IP

Data Link - Ethernet

Physical

IPSec is executed in between the Network and Transport layers.

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