Abstract: A method for handling an application in a communication between a first end and a second end involving an application layer, a transport layer, and a network layer, which method includes steps of: (a) receiving network layer packets from the first end of the communication, which packets contain application information provided using application layer processing; (b) processing the application information using application layer processing; and (c) transmitting network layer packets toward the second end of the communication, which packets contain information resulting from the application layer processing.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide method and apparatus that encrypt/decrypt messages sent over a network rapidly, and which do not require large amounts of computational or memory resources. In particular, one embodiment of the present invention is a method of providing security in a communication between a first end and a second end involving a security layer and a transport layer, wherein at some security layer messages sent from the first end are long security layer messages, which method includes steps of: (a) identifying a long security layer message in a transport layer segment received from the first end, decrypting security layer information contained in the transport layer segment, and buffering decrypted security layer information; (b) identifying the end of the long security layer message, and verifying the long security message; and (c) sending the decrypted long security layer message to the second end.