IPsecin

IPsecin is a term sometimes used to describe the integration of IPsec capabilities into networks and devices to secure IP traffic. It is not an official protocol or standard named IPsecin, but a shorthand for how IPsec is deployed across hosts, routers, and gateways in practice.

IPsec itself provides authentication, data integrity, and confidentiality for IP packets. It achieves these goals using two main components: AH (Authentication Header) and ESP (Encapsulating Security Payload), with ESP offering optional confidentiality. Key management is typically handled by the Internet Key Exchange (IKE), and configurations may use tunnel mode or transport mode depending on the deployment.

In IPsecin deployments, administrators focus on establishing Security Associations (SAs) and matching policies to traffic selectors. Policy-based configurations specify which traffic should be protected, while route-based approaches tie protection to tunnel interfaces. NAT traversal (NAT-T) is commonly required when IPsec operates behind network address translation. Lifetimes, rekeying, and algorithm choices (encryption and integrity) must be aligned across peers.

Implementations vary from kernel-space stacks in operating systems (for example, Linux with strongSwan or LibreSwan) to commercial appliances and cloud services. Interoperability and proper key management are central concerns, as misconfigurations can undermine security or disrupt connectivity. Performance considerations, including CPU load and hardware crypto acceleration, influence design choices.

See also IPsec, IKE, ESP, AH, VPN, NAT-T.