An apparatus comprising: transaction layer logic comprising hardware circuitry to: determine that a packet is to traverse to a link partner on a secure stream; authenticate a receiving port of the link partner; form a transaction layer packet, TLP, using data payload and a header; configure a prefix of the TLP to identify the TLP as a secure TLP; associate the TLP with the secure stream to form the secure TLP, wherein to associate the TLP with the secure stream comprises to associate the TLP with a secure stream number, the secure stream number encoded into the prefix of the TLP; apply integrity protection and data encryption to the secure TLP, wherein the data payload of the TLP is encrypted and the integrity protection is applied to the secure TLP; and transmit the secure TLP across the secure stream to the link partner, wherein the apparatus further comprises transaction layer logic circuitry to: augment the TLP with an information indicating that the TLP comprises integrity protection and data encryption, wherein the information is contained in one of the prefix of the TLP or the header of the TLP, wherein the information comprises an L bit that when set indicates that the TLP is a last secure TLP on the secure stream and that subsequent TLPs received on the secure stream are to have a new encryption key set. transaction layer logic comprising hardware circuitry to: determine that a packet is to traverse to a link partner on a secure stream; authenticate a receiving port of the link partner; form a transaction layer packet, TLP, using data payload and a header; configure a prefix of the TLP to identify the TLP as a secure TLP; associate the TLP with the secure stream to form the secure TLP, wherein to associate the TLP with the secure stream comprises to associate the TLP with a secure stream number, the secure stream number encoded into the prefix of the TLP; apply integrity protection and data encryption to the secure TLP, wherein the data payload of the TLP is encrypted and the integrity protection is applied to the secure TLP; and transmit the secure TLP across the secure stream to the link partner, determine that a packet is to traverse to a link partner on a secure stream; authenticate a receiving port of the link partner; form a transaction layer packet, TLP, using data payload and a header; configure a prefix of the TLP to identify the TLP as a secure TLP; associate the TLP with the secure stream to form the secure TLP, wherein to associate the TLP with the secure stream comprises to associate the TLP with a secure stream number, the secure stream number encoded into the prefix of the TLP; apply integrity protection and data encryption to the secure TLP, wherein the data payload of the TLP is encrypted and the integrity protection is applied to the secure TLP; and transmit the secure TLP across the secure stream to the link partner, wherein the apparatus further comprises transaction layer logic circuitry to: augment the TLP with an information indicating that the TLP comprises integrity protection and data encryption, wherein the information is contained in one of the prefix of the TLP or the header of the TLP, wherein the information comprises an L bit that when set indicates that the TLP is a last secure TLP on the secure stream and that subsequent TLPs received on the secure stream are to have a new encryption key set.