Virtual Private Networks For Dummies

Let’s face it: the information age makes dummies of us all at some point. One thing we can say for sure, though, about things related to the Internet is that their best strengths are often also their worst weaknesses. This goes for virtual private networks (VPNs). They may reach a wide base of customers – but can also be vulnerable to viruses, hackers, spoofers, and other shady online characters and entities. VPNs may allow for super-efficient communication between customer and company – but they rely on information which, if compromised, can cause huge losses. The Internet is still a frontier – sometimes so wide open it leaves us bewildered – and, like any frontier, the risks go hand in hand with potentially huge rewards. Virtual Private Networks for Dummies offers you a no-nonsense, practical guide to evaluating your company’s need for a VPN, understanding what it takes to implement one, and undertaking the challenging quest to set it up, make it work, and keep it safe. Whether you’re the resident expert leading the project team, or you just want to learn what makes e-commerce tick, this detailed, from-the-ground-up guide will soon have you comfortably conceptualizing: Security goals and strategies The evolution of VPNs Privacy in VPNs Extranets Remote-Access VPNs Funding Custom network solutions design Testing VPNs And more With new products and technologies offering supposedly revolutionary solutions to IT departments every day, this book focuses on the real world – you know, the one full of obstacles, mishaps, threats, delays, and errors – and gives you the background knowledge to make decisions for yourself about your VPN needs. Written with a dash of humor, Virtual Private Networks for Dummies contains both technical detail (standards, protocols, etc.) and more general concepts (such as conducting cost-benefit analyses). This clear, authoritative guide will have you securely and cost-effectively networking over the Internet in no time.

Historically, only large companies could afford secure networks, which they created from expensive leased lines. Smaller folks had to make do with the relatively untrusted Internet. Nowadays, even large companies have to go outside their private nets, because so many people telecommute or log in while they're on the road. How do you provide a low-cost, secure electronic network for your organization?The solution is a virtual private network: a collection of technologies that creates secure connections or "tunnels" over regular Internet lines--connections that can be easily used by anybody logging in from anywhere. A number of products now exist to help you develop that solution.This book tells you how to plan and build a VPN. It starts with general concerns like costs, configuration, and how a VPN fits in with other networking technologies like firewalls. It continues with detailed descriptions of how to install and use VPN technologies that are available for Windows NT and Unix, such as PPTP and L2TP, Altavista Tunnel, Cisco PIX, and the secure shell (SSH).New features in the second edition include SSH, which is a popular VPN solution for Unix systems, and an expanded description of the IPSec standard, for which several vendors have announced support.Topics include: How the VPN compares to other available networking technologies Introduction to encryption, firewalls, the IPSec standard, and other technologies that let VPNs work Point to Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) and L2TP The Altavista Tunnel The Cisco PIX Firewall Secure Shell (SSH) Maintenance and troubleshooting

VPNs enable any enterprise to utilize the Internet as its own secure private network. In this book, two leading VPN implementers offer a start-to-finish, hands-on guide to constructing and operating secure VPNs. Going far beyond the theory found in most books, Ruixi Yuan and Tim Strayer present best practices for every aspect of VPN deployment, including tunneling, IPsec, authentication, public key infrastructure, and network/service management. Strayer and Yuan begin with a detailed overview of the fundamental concepts and architectures associated with enterprise VPNs, including site-to-site VPNs, remote access VPNs, and extranets. They compare all options for establishing VPN tunnels across the Internet, including PPTP, L2F, and L2TP. Next, they present in-depth coverage of implementing IPsec; establishing two-party or trusted third-party authentication; building a robust public key infrastructure; and managing access control. The book includes expert coverage of VPN gateway configuration, provisioning, and management; Windows and other VPN clients; and network/service management, including SLAs and network operations centers. Finally, the authors preview the future of VPNs, showing how they may be enhanced to provide greater quality of service and network intelligence. For all networking and IT professionals, security specialists, consultants, vendors, and service providers responsible for building or operating VPNs.

Document from the year 2018 in the subject Computer Science - IT-Security, grade: A, language: English, abstract: This book encompasses virtual private network technologies theoretical as well as practical. In this project, it demonstrates how to VPNs actually work and their practical implementation with different lab scenarios step by step. The objective of this book is to teach the students and professionals in an easy way. The reader does not learn the theoretical knowledge of VPNs, but he also learns the practical implementation of several types of VPN in his home and office. There are several types of VPN with different scenarios. After the study of this book, the reader will be familiar with almost all types of VPN and can perform with different scenarios in his office and home.

Beginners network professionals can learn how to set up a Virtual Private Network in the most secure and cost-effective way. Includes VPN blueprints for one of the fastest growing and secure methods for connecting branch offices.

The authors meet the growing demands of de-centralized companies that need a secure and functional network using Linux. The only book available that extensively covers the combination of VPN technology and Linux, this volume teaches first hand how to build various VPN solutions with individual setup guides.

"Dennis Fowler provides an insightful view to both the business benefits and technical requirements to VPNs. His examples of other customers' experiences with VPNs breathe life into the discussion." From the Foreword by Susan Scheer Aoko, Cisco systems, Inc. Network-dependent companies are excited by the benefits promised by the virtual private network, including lower costs, greater flexibility, and improvements in connectivity. But they also have questions: What benefits are real? How can they be measured? What are the expenses and the dangers? Virtual Private Networks: Making the Right Connection is an intelligent introduction written especially for business and IT professionals who want a realistic assessment of what a VPN can provide for their organizations. Covering advantages and risks, this book expands your understanding of what you can do with a VPN, while detailing all that implementing it will demand of you. With its help, you'll find your way through VPN hype to the answers you need to make sound decisions. Features Thoroughly explains VPN concepts and technologies, and examines the potential of VPNs as intranets, extranets, and remote access solutions. Covers essential VPN topics like tunneling, encapsulation, encryption, security, and protocols. Provides detailed points of comparison between typical VPN costs and the costs of maintaining traditional WANs. Offers frank consideration of the hidden costs and risks sometimes associated with VPNs, helping you decide if a VPN is right for you. Lists and assesses the software and hardware products you may need to implement a VPN. Discusses both Internet-based VPNs and VPN services offered by providers of "private" ATM and frame relay networks, detailing the pros and cons of each.

Based on the official instructor-led training course of the same name in a self-study product, Cisco® Secure Virtual Private Networks is a comprehensive, results-oriented book designed to give readers the knowledge to plan, administer, and maintain a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Readers are taught to accomplish several specific tasks, including identifying the features, functions, and benefits of Cisco® Secure VPN products; identifying the component technologies implemented in Cisco® Secure VPN products; utilizing commands required to configure and test IPSec in Cisco IOS® software and PIX Firewalls; installing and configuring the Cisco® VPN Client to create a secure tunnel to a Cisco® VPN Concentrator and PIX Firewall; configuring and verifying IPSec in the Cisco® VPN Concentrator, Cisco router, and PIX Firewall; and configuring the Cisco® VPN Concentrator, Cisco® router, and PIX Firewall for interoperability.