In an SNMP network including a Manager Station having a first digital certificate and an Agent Station having a second digital certificate, the MS generates a simple network management protocol (SNMP) configuration file which includes SNMP authentication keys and SNMP encryption keys for use by the MS and the AS for authentication and for encrypting communications between the MS and the AS, respectively. Mutual authentication can be performed using the first and second digital certificates to establish a secure session between the MS and the AS. The MS can encrypt the SNMP configuration file and transmit it to the AS which can then decrypt the encrypted SNMP configuration file to generate the SNMP authentication keys and the SNMP privacy keys. The MS and the AS can then use the SNMP authentication and privacy keys to conduct secure SNMP communications between the MS and the AS.