IPSec Fundamentals and Installation

As the Internet grows, more and more emphasis is being placed on security. One especially hot topic in security these days is IPSec and IPv6. This article is going to explain what IP Security (IPSec) is, what it is good for, why should you use it and, finally, provide and example of how to deploy it on Linux.

When you hear the word cryptography, the words that probably come to your mind are PGP, SSL, SSH, DES, and what you imagine is someone encrypting a file. This use of cryptography is at a higher level than IPSec. Basically IPSec is a way to build a secure data channel at IP level.