Layer 2 Encryption

From Tech Republic (June 20, 2007): "OSI Layer-2 Encryption: Security goes one layer deeper"

Take away: "Encryption over Ethernet is emerging as a new solution for powering secure networks. Increasingly being adopted for military and critical networking infrastructures, Layer-2 encryption helps offload complexity and reduce maintenance charges...Now, networking companies are offering solutions that encrypt data right down at the packet level. 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standards and other cryptographic algorithms are being used to secure data packets traversing across sites (i.e. Metropolitan Ethernet and Wide Area Networks)."
Short post with more information: http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/tech-news/?p=687

From Tech News World (June 19, 2007): "Ethernet's New Security Layer"

Take away: "The ability to apply the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) across every data packet traversing a network is a powerful attraction of Layer 2 data encryption, particularly as stringent information security standards have now been mandated by a variety of legislative actions...In addition to 256-bit data encryption, one of the biggest benefits of the latest generation of Layer 2 encryption standards is the low impact they have on network performance." Full story here: http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/57910.html