Virtual Private Network

Research paper on Virtual private networks

Introduction

The purpose behind this paper is to understand VPN's (virtual private networks) how they are beneficial and what their disadvantages are, I will also design a system using VPN's and firewalls. To begin with I will start with an explanation on VPN's.

Discussion

According to Mason (2002) a virtual private network is a private network, which is extended across a public network like the internet. A VPN enables a host computer to receive and send data throughout a public network, as a private network. This is achieved by creating virtual point connections through the use of dedicated connections, encryption or both. A VPN connection once established across the internet is called a wide area network (WAN) and basically creates a link between websites and the user, but they appear to the user as a private network link.

In order to understand why the creation of VPN was necessary we need to understand the fact that as businesses grew and established multiple offices there was a necessity to create a fast and secure way of sharing information with each other through computer systems, similarly employees who are constantly travelling also require a secure and effective way of staying in touch with the office and for that purpose there was a need to create a safe method of assessing the business computer from a remote location. VPN systems help achieve this goal, since a VPN uses a private network that utilizes public networks, like the internet in order to establish safe connections with remote websites. Any VPN system basically uses virtual connections which are routed through the internet from the private network of the businesses private network to the remote locations which is basically being used by an employee. Through the usage of VPN's a company can maintain a secure method to interact with employees at far off locations since the data is being transferred after being encrypted makes it impossible for other people to read or to decrypt. Before VPN systems, the first ever technology used for the purpose of connecting to remote computers, in the past the most common way of connected to computers situated in different locations was done by using leased lines, private networks could be created through the usage of these lines which could easily be leased by telephone companies.

The Integrated service digital network is an example of leased lines and was frequently used in the past. Leased lines were also effective methods of creating a private network expanded over a wide geographical area. The connection formed a single wide area network (WAN) which would be used strictly by the business. This system of leased lines was also an extremely effective method of creating a secure and effective method of establishing communication between offices and since leased lines created single connections they were equally secure like VPN's the only drawback that made people consider for other options is the fact that leased lines are extremely expensive and since businesses are being through ...