What protocol in IPsec establishes the required security by combining authentication, key management, and security associations?

What protocol in IPsec establishes the required security by combining authentication, key management, and security associations?

• A. Oakley
• B. IKE
• C. ISAKMP
• D. IPsec Policy Agent

Answer: (B)

Authentication, key management, and security associations are all brought together by the protocol that negotiates and manages the cryptographic setup for IPsec. That protocol is IKE. It handles mutual authentication between peers, performs a secure key exchange (often with Diffie-Hellman), and creates the IPsec security associations that define the parameters for ESP or AH. Phase 1 establishes a secure IKE channel, and Phase 2 uses that channel to negotiate the actual IPsec SAs for protected traffic. Oakley is the set of algorithms used in the key exchange, ISAKMP provides the framework for the exchange, and IPsec Policy Agent is a management component, not the protocol that performs the end-to-end negotiation. So IKE is the correct choice.

Authentication, key management, and security associations are all brought together by the protocol that negotiates and manages the cryptographic setup for IPsec. That protocol is IKE. It handles mutual authentication between peers, performs a secure key exchange (often with Diffie-Hellman), and creates the IPsec security associations that define the parameters for ESP or AH. Phase 1 establishes a secure IKE channel, and Phase 2 uses that channel to negotiate the actual IPsec SAs for protected traffic. Oakley is the set of algorithms used in the key exchange, ISAKMP provides the framework for the exchange, and IPsec Policy Agent is a management component, not the protocol that performs the end-to-end negotiation. So IKE is the correct choice.