An VPN allows a mobile user to connect securely over the Internet
|
A remote access virtual private network (VPN) enables users who are working remotely to securely access and use applications and data that reside in the corporate data center and headquarters, encrypting all traffic the users send and receive. Show
The remote access VPN does this by creating a tunnel between an organization’s network and a remote user that is “virtually private,” even though the user may be in a public location. This is because the traffic is encrypted, which makes it unintelligible to any eavesdropper. Remote users can securely access and use their organization’s network in much the same way as they would if they were physically in the office. With remote access VPN, data can be transmitted without an organization having to worry about the communication being intercepted or tampered with. Why Companies Need to Move Beyond Remote Access VPN With applications moving to the cloud, users don’t need to connect as often to the remote access VPN. Disconnected users present a security problem, however: Organizations lose visibility and control over user traffic. To address this shortcoming, security teams often add point products, such as proxies, to handle traffic when users are disconnected from the VPN. This is creating an issue with security, with different traffic paths following different security policies. A more recent approach is to use a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE; pronounced “sassy”), which replaces the mix of VPNs and point products with a combination of networking and network security delivered as a service. Using SASE, an organization does not have to maintain a separate stand-alone proxy or VPN. Rather, users connect to a SASE solution (which provides access to the cloud and data center) with consistent security. Benefits Some advantages of using a SASE are that it allows companies to:
Click here to learn more about securing your mobile workforce. Resources
Once upon a time, network security meant servers on premise. A firewall would guard business data as internet traffic traveled in and out of the network. But today? Modern business doesn’t operate strictly on-prem. With the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of people working off-site some or all of the time grew exponentially — and suddenly. That shift forced cybersecurity pros to revisit their security plans. Their online privacy solutions had to make sure their most valuable asset — their data — would be protected no matter where employees access it.
Even as restrictions lift, organizations still have remote teams. This means more and more of a business’s essential data and services are hosted in the cloud. These two factors mean that the need to continually revisit network security is here to stay. The good news is that one of the most straightforward, readily available network security solutions for remote workforce internet access is a VPN, or virtual private network. What is a VPN?A virtual private network (VPN) is exactly what the name suggests: a network host for your team and resources that’s private and secured behind 2FA and data encryption, virtually accessible so your team can connect from anywhere.
Types of VPNsDifferent VPNs offer different functionality. A layperson may just want a private connection to watch Netflix on their iPhone. Business VPNs should:
Our next-gen VPN, known as OpenVPN Cloud, supports extensive configuration options. Businesses of all sizes use these to set up the exact access and granularity that they need for their company. While there are far too many options for us to show all the setups available, we can provide you with an overview of two common setups: Remote Access and Site-to-Site. Remote AccessConnecting employees to the private network from various remote locations. VPN ServerGrant and control access with your VPN server hosted on the private network. VPN Client AppsSecurely connect with the secure VPN server using clients (a.k.a. VPN app) on user’s computers and mobile devices (iPhone and other Mac devices as well as android phones and tablets) What is Remote Access and why would it benefit my business? Read details about it here: Remote Access VPN. Site-to-site VPNConnecting multiple, fixed sites (branches, offices, etc.) over a public network. Intranet VPNConnecting remote and main offices. Connecting partners or customers with the main office. What is site-to-site and why would it benefit my business? Read details about it here: Site-to-site VPN routing. Types of VPN ProtocolsRemote Access and site-to-site VPNs are based on different VPN security protocols. Each VPN protocol offers different features and security:
How Does VPN Support Network Security?How does a VPN work? Network security stops unauthorized entry into corporate networks by focusing on devices, not endpoints. A VPN creates a virtual tunnel over your network so data can travel securely from Point A to Point B. IT gives employees tunnel access — usually an ID and password — so they can safely access both your private network and the public internet with a VPN connection. And the unauthorized users? A VPN solution ensures they can’t tap into your network or connected devices. VPN Encryption Boosts Network SecurityEncryption scrambles data so only authorized users can see it. Hackers, fraudsters or other bad actors who manage to intercept it are out of luck.
Let’s assume an employee is working from a café, shared workspace, hotel, or airport, and that employee is authorized to access your company’s business-grade VPN. (Note: Business- or enterprise-grade VPNs are not the same as free VPN services.) Using a VPN client installed on their device of choice, and a public wifi network, the employee can establish an encrypted connection between the user’s device and your VPN. That device, and any other that connects to your VPN, will set up encryption keys on both ends of the network connection. Those keys will then encode and decode the information being shared back and forth. Once the employee working at the café establishes an encrypted VPN connection, using the café’s wifi as a hotspot with a VPN client, their data is protected by the VPN. Even if cyber fraudsters manage to get into the café’s network, your employee, and their data, is safe inside the VPN tunnel. Enhance Network Security with VPN Access ControlLike encryption, access control is a critical component of network security. Access control and management determines who has access to what (i.e., data, resources, applications) through the use of authentication and authorization. And, as more organizations move data storage and apps to the cloud, the need for access control increases because it provides more reliable access security than single sign-on (SSO). Network administrators can reduce the risk of data breaches, both internal and external, by limiting employee access to only the data and apps they need to do their jobs. This is done by setting up multiple VPNs that connect to different resources. Then admins can assign users to a specific VPN based on access control system policies and employee needs.
How does a VPN restrict unauthorized access? By evaluating and authenticating the required credentials of authorized users. Access control then grants the access and actions associated with the user’s credentials and IP address. The general rule of thumb for access and security should be: only give people access to what they need. The fewer people you have accessing different resources, the smaller your margin of error becomes. A VPN gives network administrators the ability to do just that. VPN Security Extends to Mobile DevicesMany companies have a BYOD (bring your own device) policy. This lets employees use the operating system(s) — whether that's Apple iOS, Microsoft Windows, Android, or Linux — they prefer. The market size for BYOD is forecasted to reach $366.95 billion by 2022 compared to the $94.15 billion it was worth in 2014. And for good reason: allowing employees to use their own personal devices, rather than company-issued devices, is convenient and cost-effective. One potential drawback, though, is adequately securing online activity on BYOD devices. All those billions of devices used by employees for work need to access corporate networks, and that’s where VPN technologies come into play. With VPNs, network admins can limit what devices can access. Employees can connect to public wifi with a remote access VPN client and confidential and/or personal data is invisible to the ISP (internet service provider). Mitigate DNS Hijacking Risk with a VPNContent filters block harmful content to protect networks and users. Modern cloud-based filters are efficient and effective. The most obvious use for content filtering is inappropriate or NSFW (‘not safe for work’ content). It also guards against Domain Name System (DNS) hijacking attempts such as:
An enterprise-grade VPN service can help prevent each of these DNS hijacking scenarios by protecting routers, DNS servers, and block access to known phishing sites. Best of All: VPNs Can Be Deployed in the CloudUntil recently the most common types of VPN use cases were Remote Access and Site-to-Site. Remote Access VPNs are the more popular version because they grant and control access with your VPN server hosted on the private network, and users securely connect to the network using client VPN apps installed in devices. Just as the name suggests, the latest in next-gen VPN technology, Cloud VPN, is specifically designed for the cloud; on-prem hardware is not required. This is a significant development because the number of companies opting for cloud rather than in-house data centers is growing rapidly. How rapidly? IDC reported that, "By the end of 2021 ... most enterprises will ... shift to cloud-centric digital infrastructure and application services twice as fast as before the pandemic."
VPN-as-a-service (VPNaaS), including OpenVPN Cloud, lets users securely access their company’s cloud-based apps, data, and files with an internet connection and VPN client installed on their device(s). This next-gen VPN:
VPN: An Efficient, Reliable Network Security SolutionVPN service from a reputable VPN provider is an essential aspect of your network security. Our next-gen VPN, OpenVPN Cloud, allows organizations to truly safeguard their assets in a dynamic, cost effective, and scalable way. OpenVPN Cloud takes the complexity and high cost out of building and managing a secure private network. This elegant, cloud-based solution allows you to quickly and easily connect private networks, devices, and servers to build a secure, virtualized, modern internet. What type of network connects devices attached to or implanted in the body?The Internet of Bodies (IoB) is an extension of the IoT and basically connects the human body to a network through devices that are ingested, implanted, or connected to the body in some way. Once connected, data can be exchanged, and the body and device can be remotely monitored and controlled.
What has the function of directing the data intended to reach a specific location along the right path?Routers perform the traffic directing functions on the Internet; data packets are forwarded through the networks of the internet from router to router until they reach their destination computer. Routing algorithms determine the specific choice of route.
Which of the following is an identifier that enables your device to send or receive data packets across the internet *?Internet Protocol (IP) is the method or protocol by which data is sent from one computer to another on the internet. Each computer -- known as a host -- on the internet has at least one IP address that uniquely identifies it from all other computers on the internet.
Is used to provide a PC a way to interface with a wired network?The network interface card (NIC) or network card is the hardware device most essential to establishing communication between computers.
|
