Intern Protocol Security or IPSec refers to a collection of communication rules or protocols used to establish secure network connections. Internet Protocol (IP) is the common standard that controls how data is transmitted across the internet. IPSec enhances the protocol security by introducing encryption and authentication. IPSec encrypts data at the sources and then decrypts it at the destination. It also verifies the source of the data.
IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) is used to secure data when it travels over the Internet. IPSec works by creating secure connections between devices, making sure that the information exchanged is kept safe from unauthorized access. IPSec majorly operates in two ways i.e. Transport Mode and Tunnel Mode.
To provide security, IPSec uses two main protocols: AH (Authentication Header) and ESP (Encapsulating Security Payload). Both protocols are very useful as Authentication Header verifies the data that whether it comes from a trusted source and hasn’t been changed, and ESP has the work of performing authentication and encrypts the data so that it becomes difficult to read.
For Encryption, IPSec uses cryptographic keys. It can be created and shared using a process called IKE (Internet Key Exchange), that ensures that both devices have the correct keys to establish a secure connection.
When two devices communicate using IPSec, the devices first initiate the connection by sending a request to each other. After that, they mutually decide on protection of data using passwords or digital certificates. Now, they establish the secure tunnel for communication. Once the tunnel is set up, data can be transmitted safely, as IPSec is encrypting the data and checking the integrity of the data to ensure that data has not been altered. After the communication is finished, the devices can close the secure connection. In this way, the IPSec works.