Patent ID: 7010702

Claim:
A method for sending a data packet from a first member of a virtual private network to a second member of the virtual private network comprising the steps of: receiving a data packet enroute to the second member; determining if the data packet is being sent between members of the virtual private network, and if so: determining the packet manipulation rules for packets sent between members of the virtual private network; forming a secure data packet by executing the packet manipulation rules on the data packet; and forwarding the secure data packet to the second member of the virtual private network; wherein said step of determining the packet manipulation rules includes the step of accessing a memory that maintains information identifying compression and encryption algorithms to be utilized for data packets sent between members of the virtual private network; and wherein said step of forming a secure data packet includes the steps of encrypting at least a payload portion of the data packet according to the identified encryption algorithm; and compressing at least the payload portion of the data packet according to the compression algorithm identified.