Patent ID: 7844706

Claim:
A portable computing device adapted to provide network security functions, comprising: a host computer; a software stack operative to run on said host computer; and network security apparatus for use with said stack, said security apparatus adapted to communicate data with other network security apparatus over a data network by establishing an association, said establishing of said association between said network security apparatus and said other network security apparatus resulting in the execution of a key exchange algorithm adapted to cause said network security apparatus and said other network security apparatus to exchange cryptographic keys; where said first network security apparatus is configured to: receive a message sent from a higher layer process in said host computer for transmission over said network; determine whether an association between said network security apparatus and said other network security apparatus in communication with said network exists; convert at least a portion of said received message to a format utilized by said network; and transmit said message received from said higher layer process to said other network security apparatus when said association does exist.