Understanding IPSec - Page 3

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IPSec Market Implications
As wireless networks become more ubiquitous, so to will the use of VPNs. Wrapping a VPN around your wireless network is just about the best way to secure it. Since wireless access points are layer 2 devices, when you use a wireless network, you can secure it using a VPN in exactly the same way you secure a wire-based network. (Remember that a wireless access point is simply a transceiver that at one end always plugs back into a wire.) If you have an enterprise class wireless network, your best bet at securing it is with an IPSec based VPN.

Signature based intrusion detection systems can only work on unencrypted links making them virtually unusable on IPSec based connections. Host-based intrusion prevention systems work just as you would expect them to in an IPSec based infrastructure, since host-based intrusion prevention systems are not implemented on network links. Since IPSec and network based intrusion detection systems cannot interoperate with each other, the adoption of wireless networks will likely create less demand for network based intrusion detection systems, and more demand for host based intrusion prevention systems.

While some vendors see IPSec and SSL going head-to-head to solve security problems, they actually both have their own place in the world of information technology infrastructure.

Products that Use IPSec
IPSec is used most commonly in firewalls, VPNs, and authentication products. VPNs are the dominate users of IPSec, and of the firewalls that use IPSec, use it because they also have built-in VPN capabilities. However, there are other products on the market that either come bundled with IPSec, or make use of it in some way - such as secure operating systems, developer toolkits, and encryption accelerator products.

User Recommendations
Currently IPSec does not support Network Address Translation (NAT), and therefore the IPSec connection cannot transverse NATed environments. However, for most wide are networks, it is possible to implement an IPSec based VPN to secure the link.

Though IPSec may not be a perfect framework, it is the best framework that currently exists for products like VPNs. If implemented correctly, a VPN can greatly decrease the probability that data crossing the VPN channel will be exploited for adverse purposes. If the value of the data is greater than the cost of purchasing and implementing a VPN, implementing a VPN is the right thing to do.

Author
Laura Taylor is the founder of Relevant Technologies, a provider of original information security content, research advisory services, and best practice IT management consulting services.

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