The very basic definition is, it’s a private virtual network. Yet the sentence only begs for further explanation. So collect ’round, almost of course, as we unpack VPN service and why they are so essential for communicating.
If you’d never heard these three letters, then you’ve probably heard them right now. Any dialogue about safe remote access includes the term with corporations and their workers worldwide subjected to work from home scenarios.
Therefore the tunnel itself provides a degree of anonymity, but it must be protected to gain the maximum security advantages of a VPN. Every public network can see that a tunnel exists, but encryption – either by SSL (secure layer of sockets) or IPSec (secure Internet protocol) prevents others from seeing what’s inside. Every client and the network with which the user connects will be the only ones that can decode it, with passwords (recommended multifactor authentication) and certificates.
Returning to the groups, as both SSL and IPSec provide the encrypted data needed to keep that virtual tunnel private, a few key differences arise. SSL VPN allows secure remote access through a web browser – without needing specialized client software – which makes deployment easy. Unlike SSL, IPSec VPN operates on the network layer, usually requiring a separate solution for hardware or software.
It also obscures the device’s IP address when a user connects via VPN. It means anyone can just get the IP address of the network on which the user gets connected, a function many non-business users find useful.
So, in our search to address “what is a VPN? “We discussed the virtual and private aspects, now let’s look at the part of the network. In this case the network means that a remote computer of a user is connected to the network of the company. We can have access to all of it, or only specified applications, programs, and files depending on the type of connection. Either way, the VPN link helps users to access everything they need to do the job – everything shielded by the protection of your current network. Substantially, a VPN expands the scope of your network to have anywhere to access it. And this safe remote access is a must in the teleworking era.
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