IPSEC (Internet Protocol Security) is a network layer security protocol that is designed to support secure TCP/IP environment over the Internet considering flexibility, scalability, and interoperability. IPSEC primarily supports security among hosts rather than users unlike the other security protocols. Recently, IPSEC is emphasized as one of the important security infrastructures in the NGI (Next Generation Internet). It also has suitable features to implement VPN (Virtual Private Network) efficiently and its application areas are expected to grow rapidly. In this paper, the basic concepts and related standard documents of IPSEC will be introduced.