Methods and systems for a flexible, scalable hardware and software platform that allows a managed security service provider to easily provide security services to multiple customers is provided. According to one embodiment, a request to establish an IP connection between two locations of a subscriber is received at a service management system (SMS) of the service provider. A tunnel is established between service processing switches coupled in communication through a public network. First and second packet routing nodes within the service processing switches are associated with the first and second locations, respectively. An encryption configuration decision is bound with a routing configuration of the packet routing nodes, by, when the request is to establish a secure IP connection, configuring, the packet routing nodes to cause all packets transmitted to the other location to be encrypted and to cause all packets received from the other location to be decrypted.