Negotiation of security protocols and protocol attributes in secure communications environment

A method of communicatively connecting computing system endpoints in a network, the method comprising:

• selecting an IPsec security protocol from among a plurality of security protocols available at the first computing system endpoint, wherein selecting the IPsec security protocol is based at least in part on an IP address of a second computing system endpoint;
• transmitting from a first computing system endpoint to the second computing system endpoint a connection request that includes an identification of the IPsec security protocol selected based on an IP address of the second computing system endpoint, the connection request including an encryption key, in which the second computing system endpoint is a member of a community of interest, each member of the community of interest is a client of the first computing system endpoint;
• receiving, at the first computing system endpoint, from the second computing system endpoint a responding request that includes a validation key, wherein the validation key matches with the encryption key authenticating the second computing system endpoint, the validation key being common among the members of the community of interest;
• forming an IPsec-based tunnel between the first and second computing system endpoints;
• selecting, by the first computing endpoint, an IPsec security protocol from among a plurality of security protocols concurrently available at the first computing system endpoint, wherein selecting the IPsec security protocol is based at least in part on an IP address of a third computing system endpoint;
• receiving an indication from the third computing system endpoint that the third computing system endpoint does not natively support the IPsec security protocol;
• forming a second tunnel between the first and third computing system endpoints, wherein the second tunnel uses a second security protocol other than the IPsec security protocol.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage device comprising computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause a computing system to perform a method of communicatively connecting to a remote computing system endpoint, the method comprising:

• transmitting to a remote computing system endpoint a connection request that includes an IP address of the remote computing system endpoint, the connection request including an encryption key, in which the remote computing system endpoint is a member of a community of interest, each member of the community of interest is a client of the computing system;
• receiving from the remote computing system endpoint a responding request that includes a validation key, wherein the validation key matches with the encryption key authenticating the remote computing system endpoint, the validation key being common among the members of the community of interest;
• based at least in part on the IP address of the remote computing system endpoint, selecting by the first computing system endpoint, an IPsec security protocol from among a plurality of security protocols concurrently available at the first endpoint to first attempt to use in forming a tunnel between the computing system and the remote computing system endpoint;
• and
• forming the tunnel between the computing system and the remote computing system endpoint based on the connection request.