Chapter 1. Network Security and Virtual Private Network Technologies

After completing this chapter, you will be able to perform the following tasks:

• Understand network security

• Understand VPN technologies

• Use the Cisco Security Wheel

• Understand the basics of the IPSec protocol framework

This opening chapter provides an overview of network security and looks at the Cisco Architecture for Voice, Video, and Integrated Data (AVVID) and the SAFE blueprint. It also covers the IP Security (IPSec) framework and identifies the main encryption and algorithm protocols. Then it looks at how IPSec works before finishing with the five steps of IPSec operation. These five steps are very important to remember and also are very useful for implementing and troubleshooting any IPSec-based virtual private network (VPN), whether firewall-, router-, or VPN Concentrator-based.