What is IP Encryption?

IP Encryption, often referring to IPsec (Internet Protocol Security), is a suite of protocols used to secure Internet Protocol (IP) communications by authenticating and encrypting each IP packet of a communication session. IPsec includes protocols for establishing mutual authentication between agents at the beginning of the session and negotiation of cryptographic keys to be used during the session. IPsec can be used to protect data flows between a pair of hosts (e.g., a client and a server), between a pair of security gateways (e.g., routers or firewalls), or between a security gateway and a host. It is commonly used in VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) to secure network traffic.