Assignment: Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Virtual Private Network (VPN) 

 What is VPN: The term virtual private network (abbreviated VPN) describes any technology that can encapsulate and transmit network data, typically Internet Protocol data, over another network. Such a system enables users to access network resources that may otherwise be inaccessible from the public internet. VPNs are frequently used in the information technology sector to provide access to resources for users that are not physically connected to an organization's network, such as telecommuting workers. VPNs are so named because they may be used to provide virtual (as opposed to physical) access to a private network. Introduction: Technology is moving ahead fast and with moving technology, there are certain things which need to be considered so that the data can be secured. Personal computers may not require a high level of security but official computers do because there are always people who are willing to go out of the way to hack the data. VPN, that is, Virtual Private Network is a networking technology that allows professionals from different part of the world to communicate securely with that of each other. A VPN allows two types of advantages to the user; one is where the user can enter the credentials and access a public network from anywhere they want or secondly, the user can access the intranet of an organization from the office location itself. If a college is present in two different states then they will have a common network so that the data on the internet is available to all the students and professors of both the locations. There is always a possibility that the data on the college intranet gets hacked and hence, to stop the same, VPN needs to be implemented so that the data is secure. The credentials of VPN networks should be shared, by the owner of the network, with whom he trusts and not just everybody. VPN and security: The virtual private network is the best way by which one can secure their wireless network. The VPN will allow only selected users to access the network; thus, the data can be accessed only by people who are permitted. VPN forms a tunnel around the network so only people who have the authority to access the data can enter the required credentials. Even websites are protected by SSL and hence, most of the times, certain part of the website request for a password and user ID thus, diverting the unwanted user. VPN provides the below levels of security so that the network owner can be rest assured that the data on his network is secured. The levels of security provided by VPN are discussed below: –1. User Authentication – This level of security allows only the permitted users to use the wireless network. The authenticated users can access the data on the internet, send files from the network and also receive files by using the network. 2. Encryption – This allows additional security to the network. Even if someone tries to hack the network then that isn’t possible without extra efforts and time. The encryption comes into picture when the transmissions are being decoded. 3. Data authentication – This stage checks the authentication of data that is being transmitted. It also keeps a track of the devices that are accessing the network so that the data stored and retrieved are from authenticated devices only. Implementation of VPN network over wireless network While implementing VPN in the wireless network, certain things need to be considered so that the owner of the network can be rest assured that the data on their computer or network is accessed only by people who are permitted. If a person visits a website then the website owner can access the data, on the laptop/desktop from where the website is being visited. This becomes a major problem when a person is using public Wi-Fi. VPN creates a tunnel from the laptop to the endpoint of the tunnel and then an unencrypted mode is used to reach the website. With the help of VPN, the other users of the same network cannot track the http or the IP of the computer. One of the best ways by which an organization can implement a VPN for its wireless network would be by outsourcing the security. There are various benefits of outsourcing the Virtual Private Network, especially if the organization is small. For VPN to be implemented in the organization, a special server needs to be set, a separate operating system needs to be installed and apart from that, the server will have to remain on for 24 hours a day. If an organization is having its presence in multiple locations then it is always better to hire a networking professional who can take care of the VPN requirements of the organization as outsourcing the process can be an expensive deal. VPN service providers are available in plenty in the market; the person who is willing to outsource the VPN can get a service provider for even $5 per month for per computer thus, making it affordable for everybody. This will be an expensive deal for organizations which have 10,000 or more computers. Purchasing a server, operating system and hiring a network administrator can be a beneficial deal for such organizations. Creating a VPN over the Wi-Fi network has become a must otherwise the threats cannot be avoided. An organization which is willing to undertake VPN over Wi-Fi must have at least Windows 7 as operating system and a stable internet connection. If the internet connection with the organization isn’t powerful then a stable VPN cannot be established thus, making the network again prone to risk. VPN in layman’s language can be said that, first and foremost, the organization will have to install client software in all the computers in the organization. A modem in the organization’s computers should be connected to the firewall and then the client server is also connected to the firewall. By doing this, a tunnel is formed between the organization’s computer and the client’scomputer. Outside the tunnel, there are lots of viruses which are trying their level best to acquire the data which is inside the tunnel. The data inside the tunnel is encrypted thus, making it difficult for the hacker to understand the data. If the data has, inside the tunnel, to be hacked then the data will have to be decrypted so that it can be used. An organization, having VPN, should communicate with all their clients after installation of the firewall so that the data can be safe. Even in an organization, all the employees in the organization cannot access all the data and hence, the data is protected by way of encryption and decryption. A VPN must be used especially when an employee is using the public Wi-Fi to get access to the internet. Types of VPN There are majorly two types of VPN so the organization should choose the one that they find suitable. The details of the VPN are as follows: – 1. Site-to-Site VPN – This kind of VPN is used by organizations which have their presence in multiple locations. These organizations have a firewall, routers and other things that can complete the VPN in all the locations. If an employee from US branch is willing to share data with an employee in the UK branch then they can do that peacefully without any security threat. The employee of the US branch will send the data, the data will be encrypted and then it will reach the employee at the UK branch. The data will be encrypted while it leaves the US branch and it will be decrypted by the UK branch’s firewall and modem so that it can be safe and secure when travelling via the VPN tunnel. 2. Remote Access VPN – Site-to-Site VPN cannot be used when there are multiple users of the same data. Any data on the website cannot be secured by way of site-tosite VPN and hence, remote access VPN is used. The server disseminates the data to the endpoint of VPN tunnel; thus, the device in which the data is stored is completely secure. The end-user, computer, laptop or mobile, can retrieve the data. The data is encrypted till it reaches the end of the tunnel and then the data is decrypted once it is received at the user’s device. This is one of the most secure methods which many organizations are using when the data is to be accessed by multiple users. Benefits of using VPNs in a wireless network There are various advantages of using VPNs in wireless network and hence, almost all the organizations today are willing to implement a VPN. Few of the advantages of Virtual Private network is discussed below. VPN is one of the easiest ways by which two branch offices can communicate with each other without any security issues. The data packet that has been sent from one location to that of another is encrypted and after checking the credentials and other authentications, the data is decrypted and delivered in the same state as it was. This is best suited for organizations which are geographically distributed. This allows the employees from two different locations to breakthe barrier and communicate, access internet, exchange emails and have a chat with each other by way of online conference Cost is one of the major advantage due to which many organizations opt for it rather than that of any other security options. Sometime back, organizations use to hire lease lines so that the transmission of data between two branch offices take place securely but that problem is completely solved with the introduction of VPN. A VPN can be formed with the help of public internet thus, making things simple and easy. The cost of long-distance telephone charges is reduced as with the help of VPN, employees from two different locations can communicate with each other over internet conferencing. The cost of server maintenance is also reduced because this can be outsourced to the third-party. Many VPN service providers achieve economies of scale by way of providing VPN services to many business organizations. Initially, an organization, which has its presence in only two locations, may think of building a private network. Later, with the increase in the number of branches, this will be seemed as an expensive deal. If an organization is having two branches then they will be require one dedicated but if the number of branches is increased to six then the organization will require 15 dedicated servers; thus, making this an expensive deal. With the increase in the number of dedicated servers, the technical complexities also tend to increase and the cost of professional also increases. With the help of VPN, the organization can just use the public internet to connect to all the branches. Disadvantages of using VPNs in wireless Network There are various disadvantages of using VPNs in wireless network and hence, there are other security options available. Few of the disadvantages of using VPNs in wireless networks are discussed below. The technician who will be implementing the VPN device needs have a good amount of knowledge. If a technician thinks that he can try his luck with the VPN network then things are not going to work; in fact, that will be a great pitfall for the organization which is implementing it. Hiring a technician with complete knowledge about VPN can be an expensive deal but an organization will have to do that so that they can avoid security as well as deployment issues. The speed of VPN network is very much slower as compared to that of other security devices. If an organization has been using some security device and if they all of a sudden decide to switch to VPN then they won’t be comfortable and there are possibilities that they will shift back to the old device after a certain point of time. There are lot many manufacturers of VPN device and hence, it is very important for an organization to choose the right manufacturer. It has been noticed that certain service providers are better than that of others; thus, allowing organizations to work at a faster rate.It is very important to have internet connectivity with great speed. With fluctuation in internet connectivity, the performance of the network will also fluctuate. Apart from that, the data inside the tunnel is very much secure but there is always an insecurity of the data being hacked. If there is a slight fault then there are possibilities that the data will be hacked and decrypted. Theoretically, it is said that VPN requires nothing other than that of IP (Internet Protocol) but that is not the case in practicality. The existing legacy of the existing internet connection matters the most so these things need to be well considered in advance so that organizations aren’t fooled after purchasing the device. If an organization is willing to implement VPN then they need to consider both the advantages as well as disadvantages so that they can take a wise decision rather than that of implementing VPN in a hurry and then regretting. Recommendations for using VPNs effectively: VPN can be the best possible security solution if an organization considers certain things before implementation. Few recommendations for using VPNs effectively, in wireless networks are as follows: – 1. Any organization which is planning to implement VPN should prepare things in advance. They should prepare a proper plan and discuss the same with the professional, make changes as required and then they should go ahead with the implementation. Many organizations just see the cost benefit which is offered by VPN and then they start with the implementation but that is not the right thing to do. This can be very risky and it may even lead to security issues like the data, which is transmitted, being hacked. 2. Unauthorized access to the network should be avoided completely. Apart from that, the VPN network should be divided in small parts so that even if a malicious virus attacks the network then only a part is affected and not all. Many organizations assume the data to be safe and hence, they allow the movement of data without proper credentials but that should be avoided to the extent possible. This will take some time but that is completely fine rather than that of losing important data. 3. If an organization assumes that the internal IT resources in the organization can take care of the VPN implementation and other issues then this will be considered as one of the biggest faults. While purchasing a device from the manufacturer, the organization should check regarding the availability of professionals. It is always better to hire these professionals so that the implementation becomes an easier task and apart from that, there will be no loopholes left on the security end. 4. With the implementation of a VPN, the operational procedures of the organization should be revised so that they can fit well with the new procedures of the VPN. An organization should be prepared to undertake these changes as this will allow the organization to perform more efficiently than it did previously.Conclusion: VPN is one of the best security options that anyone can undertake so that the data in the organization is secured. The organization should decide on the type of VPN that they would like to have at their place. There are certain advantages as well as disadvantages and this should be considered well in advance so that there isn’t any scope for surprise. Professionals are available in the market for VPN implementation so they should be hired so that the data in the organization can be protected from hackers. Initially the users may feel that the network is slow due to the implementation of a VPN but considering the advantages that VPN provides, this can be ignored.