VPN Remote Access

VPN
A VPN, or Virtual Private Network is a technology that establishes a private or secure network connection within a public network, such as the Internet. They are widely used by enterprises to create massive networks that span large geographic areas (e.g. between branch offices) in order to provide connectivity between employees and servers at each location as well as to provide mobile users (or telecommuters) remote access to the company LAN (Local Area Network) when working away from the office.

There are two types of VPN technology: client-to-LAN and LAN-to-LAN. Client-to-LAN VPN (site to site vpn technology is generally implemented through vpn software running on a user's remote PC, but can also be an SSL VPN (or SSL-based) VPN inside a web browser, creating a secure portal for end users via an encrypted tunnel inside the browser. This is often coupled with endpoint security systems which validate antivirus, antispyware, and operations sytem patches (e.g. Microsofr Critical Updates). End-user Virtual Private Networks are the most common type of VPNs used by individual computers in remote locations. Originally, IPSec was the technoloogy of choice for connections by remote workers. More recently, network extension products based on SSL (or other web-compatible protocols) have become increasingly more common. LAN-to-LAN VPN technology most often utilizes hardware Virtual Private Network routers to establish a virtual network between two or more independent LANs. Companies have developed software-based site-to-site VPN services as well as fully-hosted, managed VPN offerings, which eliminate the need for hardware on-site and bypass conventional problems with complex configurations.

Example: A network which uses the public network to transfer information using secure methods. For example, you could set up a Virtual Private Network between your home office and your business office using security and encryption and the Internet as your transfer pipe.