Comparative Analysis of PSK and PKI-Based IPsec VPNs

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digital communication and the increasing need for secure data transmission have made Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) an essential tool in modern networking. IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) is a widely adopted framework for securing communications over the Internet. Within the IPsec framework, there are two primary authentication methods: Pre-Shared Key (PSK) and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). This thesis presents a comprehensive comparative analysis of PSK and PKI based IPsec VPNs to evaluate their performance, security, scalability, and usability. The study involves the implementation of both PSK and PKI VPNs, followed by an extensive examination of their strengths and weaknesses in various real-world scenarios. The results of this analysis aim to provide valuable insights for network administrators, security experts, and decision-makers in selecting the most appropriate authentication method for their specific networking requirements.