Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) is a suite of protocols and services that provide security for IP networks. It is a widely used virtual private network (VPN) technology. IP packets lack effective security mechanisms and may be forged, stolen, or tampered with when being transmitted on a public network, such as the Internet. To solve this problem, the communicating parties establish an IPsec tunnel for encrypted transmission of IP packets. This ensures secure transmission of IP packets on an insecure network, such as the Internet.
What Is an IPsec VPN?
Virtual private network (VPN) is a technology for establishing a private network on a public network. It is a logical network over a public network such as the Internet, allowing user data to be transmitted through a logical link. This is different from a traditional private network, where user data is transmitted through an end-to-end physical link.
Common VPN protocols include IPsec, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE), Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), and Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP). IPsec is a commonly used VPN technology and applies to multiple network access scenarios.
IPsec VPN is a VPN technology that uses IPsec for remote access. The technology allows establishing an IPsec tunnel between two or more private networks on a public network and using encryption and authentication algorithms to ensure the security of VPN connections.
IPsec VPN protects point-to-point communication by establishing secure tunnels between hosts, between hosts and network security gateways, or between network security gateways (such as routers and firewalls). It operates at the IP layer to encrypt and authenticate data packets.
Compared with other VPN technologies, IPsec VPN is more secure because data is encrypted for transmission in IPsec tunnels. However, the configuration and networking deployment of IPsec VPN are more complex.
IPsec VPN
For more information, see IPsec
