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The life cycle phases of an IPSec Tunnel in a virtual private network.
Message integrity to detect and reject any instances of tampering with transmitted messages. Sender authentication to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the VPN.
Confidentiality such that even if the network traffic is sniffed at the packet level (see network sniffer or deep packet inspection), an attacker would see only encrypted data, not the raw data. To prevent disclosure of private information or data sniffing, VPNs typically allow only authenticated remote access using tunneling protocols and secure encryption techniques. VPNs cannot make online connections completely anonymous, but they can increase privacy and security. The OSI layer they present to the connecting network, such as Layer 2 circuits or Layer 3 network connectivity. The type of topology of connections, such as site-to-site or network-to-network. The tunnel's termination point location, e.g., on the customer edge or network-provider edge. The tunneling protocol used to tunnel the traffic. Despite this, these technologies are not mutually exclusive and, in a significantly complex business network, may be combined to enable remote access to resources located at any given site, such as an ordering system that resides in a datacenter. Typically, individuals interact with remote access VPNs, whereas businesses tend to make use of site-to-site connections for business-to-business, cloud computing, and branch office scenarios. An intranet site-to-site VPN describes a configuration where the sites connected by the VPN belong to the same organization, whereas an extranet site-to-site VPN joins sites belonging to multiple organizations. Extranet-based site-to-site In the context of site-to-site configurations, the terms intranet and extranet are used to describe two different use cases. The interconnecting link may run over a dissimilar intermediate network, such as two IPv6 networks connected over an IPv4 network. This configuration expands a network across geographically disparate offices, or a group of offices to a data center installation. Site-to-site A site-to-site configuration connects two networks. This may be employed for remote workers who need access to private resources, or to enable a mobile worker to access important tools without exposing them to the public Internet. This type provides access to an enterprise network, such as an intranet. Remote access A host-to-network configuration is analogous to connecting a computer to a local area network. Virtual private networks may be classified by several categories: VPN connectivity overview, showing intranet site-to-site and remote-work configurations used together From a user perspective, the resources available within the private network can be accessed remotely. A VPN available from the public Internet can provide some of the benefits of a wide area network (WAN). Ī VPN is created by establishing a virtual point-to-point connection through the use of dedicated circuits or with tunneling protocols over existing networks. Encryption is common, although not an inherent part of a VPN connection. It provides access to resources that are inaccessible on the public network and is typically used for remote workers. The benefits of a VPN include increases in functionality, security, and management of the private network. JSTOR ( May 2021) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)Ī virtual private network ( VPN) extends a private network across a public network and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: "Virtual private network" – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.