Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) virtual private networks (VPN) provide secure remote access to an organization’s resources.
A VPN is a virtual network, built on top of existing physical networks, that can provide a secure communications mechanism for data and other information transmitted between two endpoints. Because a VPN can be used over existing networks such as the Internet, it can facilitate the secure transfer of sensitive data across public networks.
An SSL VPN consists of one or more VPN devices to which users connect using their Web browsers. The traffic between the Web browser and the SSL VPN device is encrypted with the SSL protocol or its successor, the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol. This type of VPN may be referred to as either an SSL VPN or a TLS VPN. SSL VPNs provide remote users with access to Web applications and client/server applications, and connectivity to internal networks. Despite the popularity of SSL VPNs, they are not intended to replace Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) VPNs.
The two VPN technologies are complementary and address separate network architectures and business needs. SSL VPNs offer versatility and ease of use because they use the SSL protocol, which is included with all standard Web browsers, so the client usually does not require configuration by the user. SSL VPNs offer granular control for a range of users on a variety of computers, accessing resources from many locations. There are two primary types of SSL VPNs: SSL Portal VPN’s and SSL Tunnel VPN’s. See previous posts.
