Question: In NDS/IP networks, what is the primary purpose of the Internet Key Exchange (IKEv2) protocol in relation to Security Associations (SAs)?
Option 1: To negotiate, establish, and maintain Security Associations for secure connections between parties.
Option 2: To encrypt IP packets using the ESP protocol without establishing SAs.
Option 3: To manage IP Destination Addresses for secure communication endpoints.
Option 4: To specify Security Parameter Index (SPI) values for non-ESP protocols.
Explanation: IKEv2 plays a crucial role in NDS/IP networks by facilitating the negotiation, establishment, and maintenance of Security Associations. This is essential for setting up secure connections between parties, through which IPsec security associations (e.g., ESP SAs) are established to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of communications.