VPN (Virtual Private Network)

INTRODUCTION TO VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK

             Until recently, there has always been a clear distinction between public and private networks. A public network, like the plain old telephone service (POTS) or the Internet is a collection of unrelated systems that are allowed to exchange information freely with each other. A private network is composed of computers that are owned and administered by a single organization that share information with each other. Different sites in a private network are interconnected using dedicated leased lines to ensure that inter-site connectivity is always private. An enterprise that deploys a private network is assured that it is the only organization using the network.

             As it is most commonly defined, a virtual private network (VPN) allows two or more private networks to be connected over a publicly accessed network. In a sense, VPNs are similar to wide area networks (WAN) or a securely encrypted tunnel, but the key feature of VPNs is that they are able to use public networks like the Internet rather than rely on expensive, private leased lines. At they same time, VPNs have the same security and encryption features as a private network, while taking the advantage of the economies of scale and remote accessibility of large public networks.

  A VPN is an especially effective means of exchanging critical information for employees working remotely in branch offices, at home, or on the road. It can securely deliver information between vendors, suppliers, and business partners, who may have a huge physical distance between them. VPN connect both branch offices and telecommuters into an enterprise-wide corporate network via the Internet, and can eliminate all long distance charges, along with the management and security responsibilities of maintaining private networks.