Error handling for media access control security

A system, comprising:

• hardware processing circuitry;
• one or more hardware memories storing instructions that when executed configure the hardware processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:
• establishing, by a first network device, a media access control security (MACsec) session with a second network device over a first network link , the MACsec session including a predefined session timeout threshold, the session timeout threshold defining a maximum elapsed time between receipt of two sequential MACsec Key Agreement Protocol Data Units (MKPDUs) from the second network device over the MACsec session;
• monitoring an elapsed time between receipt of two sequential MKPDU's from the network device over the MACsec session;
• comparing the elapsed time with a predefined alarm time threshold, the predefined alarm time threshold representing a smaller elapsed time than the session timeout threshold;
• and
• selectively generating, based on the comparing, a MACsec link alert.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed configure hardware processing circuitry to perform operations comprising:

• establishing, by a first network device, a media access control security (MACsec) session with a second network device over a first network link , the MACsec session including a predefined session timeout threshold, the session timeout threshold defining a maximum elapsed time between receipt of two sequential MACsec Key Agreement Protocol Data Units (MKPDUs) from the second network device over the MACsec session;
• monitoring an elapsed time between receipt of two sequential MKPDU's from the network device over the MACsec session;
• comparing the elapsed time with a predefined alarm time threshold, the predefined alarm time threshold representing a smaller elapsed time than the session timeout threshold;
• and
• selectively generating, based on the comparing, a MACsec link alert.