Does IPsec encrypt data packets using the Authentication Header (AH)?

IPsec does not encrypt data packets when using the Authentication Header (AH). Instead, AH is designed to provide data integrity, authentication, and anti-replay protection for IP packets without encryption. The primary purpose of AH is to ensure that the data has not been tampered with during transit and that it originates from a legitimate sender.

In contrast, the Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP) is the component of IPsec that does provide encryption, offering confidentiality for the data being transmitted. This distinction highlights that while both AH and ESP can be used in an IPsec configuration, only ESP is responsible for the encryption of data packets. Therefore, the correct understanding is that using AH alone does not involve encryption, and this is why the statement that IPsec encrypts data packets using AH is false.