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IKE handles exchange of encryption keys when two hosts want to
communicate securely using the IPsec protocol. Distributing encryption
keys is a difficult task, which requires careful consideration.
Before the keys are exchanged, none of the hosts can encrypt any
information and if keys are sent in clear text, they can be picked
up by someone listening in on the communication. In order to exchange
the keys securely, IKE uses state-of-the-art key exchange algorithms,
specifically designed to meet the challenge of secure key distribution
in embedded systems.
Interpeak Embedded IKE is an application which generates keys and
distributes them securely. IKE stores the keys a Security Association
Database, SADB. IPsec then fetches the necessary keys from SADB
when it needs to apply security to an IP packet. A security association
contains the encryption keys to use, a specification of the IPsec
protocols to apply, the lifetime of the SA, etc.
The Interpeak IKE is optimized for deployment in embedded systems,
and delivered in ANSI compliant C source code, with ready-to-run
RTOS integration containing makefiles etc.
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