Methods, systems and computer program products provide for recovering from the failure of a primary distribution processor which provides secure communications over a network in a distributed workload environment having target hosts which are accessed through the primary distribution processor by a common network address. Information sufficient to restart communications through the primary distribution processor utilizing network security is provided to a backup distribution processor. Failure of the primary distribution processor is detected and the communications utilizing network security restarted at the backup distribution processor utilizing the provided information. Both inbound and outbound communications with target hosts utilizing the common network address and which are associated with a secure network communication are then routed through the backup distribution processor. Both inbound and outbound processing of secure network communications utilizing the common network address is performed at the backup distribution processor so as to provide network security processing of communications from the target host and network security processing of communications to the target host.