VPNs are an important technology that allows users and businesses to establish secure and reliable private connections over the Internet.
What are the types of VPNs?
Remote Access VPN
Remote Access VPN allows users to access private networks remotely and securely. Mostly preferred by home users and businesses, this type of VPN offers remote access to private network resources for traveling corporate employees. It can also be used to bypass regional internet restrictions and access blocked websites. Savvy users, on the other hand, prefer VPNs to increase internet security.
Site-to-Site VPN
A Site-to-Site VPN is a type of VPN that connects the offices of large companies in different regions. While an Internet-based VPN has a structure that connects different offices of the same company, an Extranet-based VPN connects different companies' offices. This type of VPN speeds up business processes by enabling data communication between the head office and branch offices.
Cloud VPN
Cloud VPN enables users to establish secure connections to cloud-based infrastructures or services. Cloud providers, especially large platforms such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure, offer such services. Cloud VPN enables remote users to access cloud-based resources in a secure and encrypted way.
Mobile VPN
Mobile VPN allows users to connect to a private network through their mobile devices securely. Employees can use a Mobile VPN to access email or other tools while working outside the office. They can also securely connect to public Wi-Fi networks to protect their personal information. Mobile VPN is often available as standalone applications or can be integrated into mobile device management (MDM) solutions.
SSL VPN
SSL VPN is a type of VPN that uses the SSL protocol to secure the connection between the user and the VPN server. By creating an encrypted tunnel between the user's device and the VPN server, SSL VPN provides secure access to a remote private network. SSL VPNs are usually accessible through a web browser and are easily configured.
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What are VPN protocols?
Different protocols can be used for VPNs, and each offers different security and performance features:
- Internet Protocol Security (IPSec): IPSec ensures secure communication on an IP network over the Internet. It creates a secure connection by encrypting each data packet and works in Transport mode and tunnel mode.
- Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP): L2TP is combined with IPSec to establish a secure VPN connection. L2TP creates a tunnel between two L2TP ports, and the IPSec protocol encrypts the data. It also enables secure communication within the tunnel.
- Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP): PPTP creates a tunnel and encapsulates data packets. It uses Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) for the transmission of data packets. PPTP has been used since early versions of Windows and is supported on Mac, Linux, and Windows.
- SSL and TLS: SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) create a VPN connection where the web browser acts as the client and the user has limited access to certain applications instead of full network access. It is widely used, especially on online shopping sites. Web browsers are usually integrated with SSL and TLS, so users do not need to take any extra action. Note that secure connections start with "HTTPS."
- Secure Shell (SSH): SSH creates the VPN tunnel and fully encrypts the data transmission. The SSH client creates SSH connections, and data is transmitted over the encrypted tunnel from a local port to a remote server.
- SSTP (Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol): A VPN protocol developed by Microsoft that uses SSL to secure the connection. However, it is only available on Windows platforms.
- IKEv2 (Internet Key Exchange version 2): This type of VPN provides fast and secure connections but is not widely supported by VPN providers.
- OpenVPN: An open-source VPN protocol that uses SSL. It is highly configurable and highly secure. It is widely supported by VPN providers and is considered one of the most secure VPN protocols.
- WireGuard: A newer, lighter VPN protocol that aims to be faster, simpler, and more secure than existing VPN protocols.
Conclusion
VPNs have become an essential tool for most internet users and businesses today, providing secure and private connections over the internet. The technology offers many benefits, including remote access, connectivity between corporate offices, secure access to cloud-based services, and security for mobile workers.
