IPsec is a security protocol for the Internet Protocol layer
that you can use, for example, to set up a secure tunnel between machines or networks.
It consists of these subprotocols:
- AH (Authentication Header)
- Guarantees the integrity of the IP packet and protects it from intermediate alteration or impersonation,
by attaching a cryptographic checksum computed by one-way hash functions.
- ESP (Encapsulated Security Payload)
- Protects the IP payload from wire-tapping, by encrypting it using secret-key cryptography algorithms.
IPsec has these modes of operation:
- Transport
- Protects peer-to-peer communication between end nodes.
- Tunnel
- Supports IP-in-IP encapsulation operation and is designed for security
gateways, such as VPN configurations.
Note:
The IPsec support is subject to change as the IPsec protocols develop.
For more information, see
IPSec
in the QNX Neutrino C Library Reference.