Virtual Private Network (VPN) – Definition, Features,Types and Uses

A Virtual Private Network, also known as a VPN, is an Internet-based connection system used to add privacy and security to public and private networks. For instance, the widely used Internet and WiFi hotspots. However, with a personal VPN the benefits are not limited to these two. With a VPN technology you can use the Internet like a Swiss watch and browse the web using websites and programs that are restricted or not available in your country. This is because a VPN is able to bridge a virtual private network (VPN) to a public computer or hostname.

A virtual private network has many benefits for businesses. It helps increase the productivity of employees and reduces the occurrence of system downtime. When a business adopts a VPN technology they are able to secure their data from unauthorized access on the internet and therefore reduce the risk of data loss. They can then configure various web applications that are based on their private network. This feature also ensures that system administrators can monitor all the areas of their systems from a remote location.

One of the main features of a virtual private network is the ability to configure port forwarding or address translation. This feature is extremely useful for companies who want to secure their IP addresses while still allowing other workers to connect to them from various locations. In this manner a company is able to establish multiple offices or branches from one IP address. For example, an office in Canada can establish an office in Japan and workers in Japan can access the company’s website through their local connection.

When a VPN technology is used the main private network is separated from the public internet traffic. There are two methods that are used for separating these two networks. The first method is encryption. An encrypted tunneling device is created between the source network and the destination network. The subscriber’s internet traffic is Encrypted before it enters the Virtual Private Network. In this way no one can view the sensitive information in it.

Another way of encapsulating the sensitive information is through the use of Site-To-Site Protocols. This method uses secure Socket Layer (SSL) to encrypt sensitive information entering the Virtual Private Network. Once the information has been encrypted, the IP address of the client is securely changed by altering the Destination Authentication Data Protocol (DADP). The Virtual Private Network can be distinguished from the public internet by the fact that a site-to-site connection can be established while at the same time allowing the client system to communicate over the secured site-to-site connection. This is different from IP-based security where there is always a secure connection to the site, regardless of whether the data being sent is sensitive or not.

L2TP/IPsec and PPTP are the two most commonly used Internet protocol security services. L2TP is also known as Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) or Quality Of Service Protocol (QoS). The main advantage of L2TP/IPsec is that it provides a gateway through which various other protocols can be used while at the same time protecting IP packets. Although it has become more widely used, several issues still remain to be resolved such as scalability and reliability.