HARDWARE MECHANISMS FOR LINK ENCRYPTION

Methods, systems, and apparatuses associated with hardware mechanisms for link encryption are disclosed. In various embodiments, an interconnect interface is coupled to a processor core to interconnect a peripheral device to the processor core via a link established between the peripheral device and the interconnect interface. The interconnect interface is to select a cryptographic engine of a plurality of cryptographic engines instantiated in the interconnect interface for the link. The cryptographic engine is to symmetrically encrypt data to be transmitted through the link. In more specific embodiments, each of the plurality of cryptographic engines is instantiated for one of a request type on the link, a virtual channel on the link, or a request type within a virtual channel on the link.