Abstract: A method of managing communications between a first system and a second system in a communication network, includes the steps of negotiating at least one cipher key between the first and second systems, and communicating information between the first and second systems using the SNMP protocol and the cipher key. Negotiation of the cipher key is carried out as a ciphered transaction and security processes are preferably adopted to cipher the sensitive information exchanged over the SNMP protocol. Preferably the cipher key is allotted a limited duration in time and a new cipher key is negotiated when such a duration is completed.