Network Encryption

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What Does Network Encryption Mean?

Network encryption is the process of encrypting or encoding data and messages transmitted or communicated over a computer network.

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It is a broad process that includes various tools, techniques and standards to ensure that the messages are unreadable when in transit between two or more network nodes.

Techopedia Explains Network Encryption

Network encryption is primarily implemented on the network layer of the OSI model. Network encryption implements one or more encryption algorithms, processes and standards to encrypt the data/message/packet sent over the network. The encryption services are generally provided by encryption software or through an integrated encryption algorithm on network devices and/or in software.

On an IP-based network, network encryption is implemented through Internet Protocol Security (IPSec)-based encryption techniques and standards. Each message sent is in an encrypted form and is decrypted and converted back into plain text/original form at the recipient’s end using encryption/decryption keys.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist
Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.