Which IPsec protocol provides encryption for IP payloads?

• A. ESP
• B. AH
• C. TLS
• D. SSH

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that IPsec uses two components to secure communications: ESP and AH. Encryption of the IP payload is the job of Encapsulating Security Payload. ESP provides confidentiality by encrypting the data carried in the IP packet, and it can also offer optional data integrity/authentication. AH, on the other hand, offers integrity and authenticity for the IP header and payload but does not encrypt the payload itself. TLS and SSH are separate protocols used for securing sessions over other layers, not for IPsec payload encryption. So the protocol that provides encryption for IP payloads is ESP, which can operate in transport or tunnel mode depending on how the VPN is configured.