## About the System Policy

When you install Intel® Packet Protect, a System Policy is created for your system. The System Policy consists of one or more rules that defines the security settings to enforce under certain situations. When a system attempts communication, Intel Packet Protect evaluates a number of things before allowing the communication.

The Policy Editor displays the rules that are in your policy. How do I view the Policy Editor?

The System Policy may have only one rule, the Default Rule that is created automatically at installation. Your System Policy may have several additional rules, or even no rules at all.

The following example describes how the policy works:

1. MySystem attempts to communicate with MyServer with a rule using the 3DES encryption algorithm.

2. If a rule match is found, MySystem proposes the security action settings and authentication settings that you defined for that rule. The two systems negotiate the security settings. If that security settings negotiation is successful, the two systems communicate using the agreed upon settings. If that negotiation fails, the communication fails or is allowed unsecured, depending on the "if rule fails" specification.
3. If a rule match is not found, the initiator proposes its settings assigned for that system. It then proposes pre-defined security settings, that is, default security settings that are used for all communications.

Note: A "match" is a condition where two computers that need to communicate have found and agreed upon a rule in each other's policy that is identical and specifies .

Note: If the destination system uses Intel Packet Protect, it identifies the rule to be applied, then searches for a match in the settings associated with the rule. If your system and the destination system have matching rules, the secure communication is allowed according to the specified security action settings.

Click for more information on how Intel Packet Protect works.

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