VPN Solutions
With growing business' and increased business travel VPN's or Virtual Private Networks are becoming more commonplace than ever. There are several ways to establish a VPN either through software or hardware solutions.
The idea of a VPN is to establish a secure encrypted tunnel from on network to another, usually in geographically different locations. When a VPN tunnel is established, the traffic going through that tunnel is encrypted and the remote network should appear to have local IP space. In other words the remote host should be treated as if it were on the same LAN which you are connected to.
Using this technology allows users to access network resources as if they were actually there. Increasing productivity while at home, on the road or at a branch office, a VPN is the solution in may cases.
VPN Design
As mentioned above, there are several ways to construct a VPN. The first design goal is, of course, security. There are many types of encryption algorithms to choose from. The software or hardware that you use will dictate the types of encryption available to you.
Also to be considered is user intervention. What does the user have to do to establish a secure tunnel when he /she needs to. My belief is that this intervention should be kept to a minimum. The more the user has to do the less likely they are to use it.
Some people may consider Point-to-Point circuits, such as T-1's, a VPN. It's not. What people don't realize is that a T-1 consist of three parts or legs. The two end points and the IO or Inter Office leg. A Point-to-Point circuit doesn't mean that your local telco ran a contiguous wire from one point to another. The IO leg is the piece that goes into the central office for routing, control and monitoring, and back out to the other end. Thus is to say there could potentially be a place where an intruder could capture the traffic on that circuit. If it's not encrypted then you've defeated the purpose.
Let ADL Datacomm help you decide which solution is best for you. The wrong solution could mean loss of data, stolen data, compromised passwords and more.
Encryption Testing
So you get this VPN installed and you're feeling pretty safe and secure. But you wonder, is the data encrypted? How would I know? Sure you can connect from home but is it really secure?
Let's find out. ADL datacomm has the tools to answer this question. With a few simple tests we can determine whether your data is encrypted or not.
Let ADL Datacomm provide you with piece of mind by contacting us for a commitment free consultation!