Methods and apparatus are provided for end-to-end security in heterogeneous networks. Hop-by-hop protection techniques ensure that each hop of a signaling path is satisfying one or more predefined security criteria. An end-to-end path is secured at each node by identifying a next hop in the end-to-end path; determining, in response to a received call setup request, if a vendor associated with the next hop in the end-to-end path has satisfied one or more predefined security criteria; and routing the call to the next hop if the vendor has satisfied the one or more predefined criteria. A look-up table can be used to determine whether a vendor has satisfied the one or more predefined security criteria. The look-up table can identify one or more of: (i) vendors that have achieved a predefined security rating; (ii) members in a predefined consortium or business group; and (iii) signatories to a predefined contract or technical specification.