Multilayer IPSec (ML-IPSec) Protocol Design for improved security performance over satellites

There are a variety of satellite applications that require application intelligence at intermediate devices for their proper functioning e.g. satellite networks using (Performance Enhancing Proxies, PEPs), real time streaming applications like SIP, H.323 and peer-to-peer applications. Interworking between PEPs and security system has been researched in the past. Multi-layer IPSec (ML-IPSec) resolves the conflict between end-to-end security in standard IPSec and working of PEPs. This paper presents the concept and detailed design of ML-IPSec by breaking the IP datagram into three zones while enabling the intermediate nodes to access the TCP header and HTTP header information. The paper also presents an efficient interworking scheme between ML-IPSec and secure IP multicast using the Logical Key Hierarchy for key distribution