Automated techniques are described that provide continuous, uninterrupted
operation of the secure packet tunnels in spite of access link flooding
attacks. A system is described that includes a source device and a
destination device coupled to a network. The source and destination
devices may comprise, for example, edge routers that couple local area
networks to the network via access links. The source device and the
destination device establish a packet tunnel that has a source network
address and a destination network address. Upon detecting a network
attack, the destination device selects a new network address for at least
one of the source network address and the destination network address and
establishes a new packet tunnel with the source device. The source
network address and the destination network address may comprise port
numbers, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, or other information
describing the source and destination devices.