por ¿Do you know what the ESP protocol is and what it is used for in cybersecurity? What does this module consist of? software IPsec?
Working from home is becoming a more common activity. That’s why, Nowadays, it is very common for workers to need to access their companies’ internal networks remotely.. To do this, of course, it is essential to apply security measures that facilitate the exchange of information without running the risk of an attacker reading or modifying the data.
IPsec it’s a software open source that allows establishing communication tunnels through virtual private networks (VPN), which are used to access internal networks in a completely secure manner. This software It brings together three different protocols, which allow information to be encrypted and guarantee the integrity, authenticity and confidentiality of the data.
The three protocols that IPsec uses are:
Each of these fulfills different functions, which make a VPN possible. In this post, We will focus on the second protocol, which focuses on certain aspects so that the communication is secret. Next, we will explain what the ESP protocol is.
What is the ESP protocol?
Protocols are sets of regulations that determine the way in which a process should occur. On the Internet, they serve to stipulate the rules of secure communication between computers. The ESP protocol, for example, focuses on ensuring confidentiality, as well as data integrity and authenticity..
The AH protocol, which is also part of IPsec, focuses especially on ensuring data integrity and authenticity. So, you may ask yourself:Why, when we see what the ESP protocol is, we find that it also works on these security aspects? Is this a redundancy?
In reality, the ESP protocol, which focuses mostly on confidentiality, must also include authentication methods, since confidentiality without verifying the authenticity and integrity of the information is not secure.
The ESP protocol is based on the use, mainly, of symmetric cryptography algorithms. The safest are those belonging to the AES-256 family. Symmetric cryptography is characterized by the use of the same key to encrypt and decrypt data, while asymmetric cryptography uses two keys, one public and one private, to encode the information..
Now, while the ESP protocol is based on the use of algorithms such as AES-256, the AH protocol is based mainly on the use of asymmetric cryptography algorithms, such as RSA. Asymmetric cryptography allows, in particular, to verify the authenticity and integrity of messages through its two-key system..
To easily generate a digital signature, a user can encrypt information with their private key and any other user or server can decrypt it using their public key. Thus, it can be verified that said user and not another was the author of the message. This is known as a digital signature and is an indispensable part of the authentication process..
Another important method of authenticating information and its integrity that should be taken into account when learning what the ESP protocol is is the use of hash functions. Hash functions are unique for each data set and serve to ensure that these have not been altered by malicious third parties.
Finally, to understand what the ESP protocol is and what its complementary protocols are, you should know that the ESP protocol IKE is the one that is responsible for key management, which are used in the ESP and AH. That is, the keys of the RSA and AES algorithms are produced, managed and exchanged through this module.
How to learn more?
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