As cybersecurity threats grow in complexity and frequency, protecting network communication has become a critical concern for organizations. One technology that has been implemented to secure local area network (LAN) communication is MACsec (Media Access Control Security), a protocol designed to ensure data integrity and confidentiality at the Ethernet layer. While MACsec serves its purpose well within LAN environments, it encounters significant limitations when scaled beyond that. The solution lies in adopting an encryption standard that is flexible and scalable across all network layers, such as AES (Advanced Encryption Standard).
In this post, we’ll explore why MACsec falls short in wide-area network (WAN) environments and why AES-based encryption is a superior choice for securing modern, distributed networks.
Understanding MACsec
MACsec operates at Layer 2 of the OSI model, securing data between directly connected devices on a LAN. It provides:
- Confidentiality: Data transmitted over the network is encrypted.
- Integrity: Unauthorized data modifications are detected.
- Authentication: Only trusted devices can access the network.
MACsec’s encryption ensures that data is protected within LANs, making it suitable for securing switches and routers in a controlled environment like a data center or campus network.
MACsec’s Limitations Beyond LAN
While MACsec provides robust security in LANs, it’s not built to scale across large or complex network topologies. Here’s why:
Limited to Layer 2
MACsec encrypts data only at Layer 2 (Data Link layer). It’s effective for point-to-point communication between devices on the same local network, but this limits its applicability beyond a controlled LAN environment. When data travels beyond a LAN into Layer 3 (Network layer), such as over the internet or between geographically separated locations, MACsec does not provide encryption.
Does Not Handle Routed Traffic
As soon as data needs to be routed (which occurs at Layer 3), MACsec encryption breaks down. It cannot handle data traversing over different subnets or between routers across WANs. This makes it unsuitable for securing distributed networks or remote communication.
Interoperability Challenges
MACsec is primarily hardware-based and requires support from both the sending and receiving devices. As network architectures scale to include a diverse range of devices, achieving consistent MACsec support can become costly and complex.
Lack of Flexibility Across Layers
MACsec secures only at the Ethernet layer, leaving higher layers of the communication stack unprotected. Threats that target Layer 3 or higher (such as man-in-the-middle or replay attacks) cannot be mitigated by MACsec alone, necessitating additional layers of protection.
The Case for AES-Based Encryption Across All Layers
As networks scale beyond simple LAN environments and devices connect across a wide range of network layers (from data centers to the edge and across the cloud), the need for a universal encryption standard becomes evident. This is where AES-based encryption comes into play.
Layer-Agnostic Security
Unlike MACsec, AES can be applied at multiple layers of the network, including Layer 2, Layer 3 (IPsec), Layer 4 (SSL/TLS), and even higher up the stack. This allows AES to secure data regardless of whether it’s traveling within a LAN or across a WAN, ensuring consistent protection at all points of communication.
Encryption Across Multiple Protocols
AES-based encryption can be integrated into a wide variety of protocols that are ubiquitous across networks, such as Pantherun’s AES encryption which is ideal across networks or even the slower versions of IPsec, SSL/TLS, and AES-GCM. This makes it versatile enough to secure everything from point-to-point connections within a LAN to global, distributed systems operating in WANs or across cloud environments.
Scalability Across WANs
AES encryption works well in both software- and hardware-based implementations and can be scaled across WANs with minimal overhead. This makes it suitable for use in geographically distributed networks, where data needs to remain encrypted during transit between routers, data centers, and remote endpoints.
Strong Security and Flexibility
AES has stood the test of time, offering strong encryption that meets high-security requirements. It supports key sizes of 128, 192, and 256 bits and in Pantherun’s implementation even 384 and 512 bit keys, making it adaptable to a wide range of use cases—from consumer applications to military-grade encryption.
Post-Quantum Readiness
As the threat of quantum computing looms, AES-based encryption (when combined with advanced key exchange mechanisms) is already positioned to adapt to post-quantum cryptographic standards. This positions AES as a future-proof solution capable of protecting data against emerging threats.
The Future: AES-Based Encryption as a Ubiquitous Standard
In today’s world, where networks span physical, virtual, and cloud-based infrastructures, we need a security solution that isn’t bound by the limitations of one specific layer, protocol, or hardware dependency. MACsec’s restricted use case within LANs leaves it incapable of addressing the security needs of modern, distributed networks. AES-based encryption, however, offers a robust, scalable, and future-proof solution that can be applied across all layers of communication.
By deploying AES encryption across networks, organizations can ensure that data remains secure throughout its lifecycle—from when it is generated to when it is stored or transmitted, whether over LAN, WAN, or even across hybrid and cloud environments.
Ultimately, the transition from MACsec to AES-based encryption will pave the way for more flexible, scalable, and secure communication networks, better prepared for the challenges of today and the uncertainties of tomorrow.
By adopting AES-based encryption across all layers, businesses can safeguard their networks against evolving cyber threats while ensuring the scalability needed to support the growth of the digital age.
About Pantherun:
Pantherun is a cyber security innovator with a patent pending approach to data protection, that transforms security by making encryption possible in real-time, while making breach of security 10X harder compared to existing global solutions, at better performance and price.
