ABSTRACT
The information security manager is confronted with a wide variety of communications protocols and services. At one level, the manager would like to be able to ignore how the information gets from one place to another; he would like to be able to assume security. At another, he understands that he has only limited control over how the information moves; because the user may be able to influence the choice of path the manager prefers not to rely upon it. However, that being said, the manager also knows that there are differences in the security properties of the various protocols and services that he may otherwise find useful. This entry describes the popular protocols and services, discusses their intended uses and applications, and describes their security properties and characteristics. It compares and contrasts similar protocols and services, makes recommendations for their use, and also recommends compensating controls or alternatives for increasing security.
