8.1. The Need for Improved Security

When IP (Internet Protocol) version 4, the version currently in use on the Internet, was created back in the '70s, network security was not a major concern. Although system security was important, little attention was paid to the transport used when exchanging information. When IP was first introduced, it contained no inherent security standards. The specifications for IP do not take into account that you might want to protect the data that IP is transporting. This approach will change with IP version 6, but it appears that wide acceptance of this new specification is still many years in the future.

IP currently transmits all data as clear text, which is commonly referred to as transmitting in the clear. Data ...

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