Internet Security: Are My Passwords Safe When Traveling Through the Network?

The packets that are transferred through the network core may pass through both government-owned switches and private routers, depending on the specific routing path that is taken. It is difficult to determine exactly which routers and switches the packets are passing through at any given time.

However, regardless of whether the packets pass through government-owned switches or private routers, they are typically encrypted using secure protocols such as HTTPS. This means that even if someone were to intercept the packets, they would not be able to read the contents (including your password) without first decrypting them.

In terms of paying your ISP for handling someone else's protocol, this is generally not the case. ISPs typically charge customers based on their own usage and data transfer, rather than charging them for handling other people's traffic.