Impact of the Virtual Private Network on Businesses - Research Paper Example

 Impact of the Virtual Private Network on Businesses Contents Executive summary 2 Introduction 3 Growth of VPNs 3 Advantages of VPNs 6 Conclusion 6 Works Cited 8 Executive summary The objective of this essay is to look into the impact of Virtual Private Network to businesses, this in relation to the meaning of VPN, the stages of its development, and the advantages it has over others. A virtual private network (VPN) enables the developing or building of private networks across the internet, enabling security and tunneling of non-TCP/IP protocols; for instance, remote users uses VPNs to give connect over a public medium like the Internet instead of expensive permanent means. (Lammle, 2005).VPNs are categorized according to the role they play in business, and there are three different categories of VPNs, one being remote access VPNs that allows remote users like mobile employees to securely access the business network. Furthermore, we have intranet VPNs enables a company to connect its remote sites to the corporate backbone, and lastly, extranet VPNs facilitates an organization’s suppliers, strategic associates and customers to be connected to the company network (Bidgoli, 2005). Introduction The growth of internet usage globally has been phenomenal from a meager four computers in 1969 that formed the ARPANET to an estimated 2.4 billion users in 2012(internet world statistics). Businesses depend on the internet for real time information; thus, the accessibility and easy availability of the internet has enabled an unprecedented growth, and the need for secure networks became essential. However, businesses that have dispersed locations are faced with the issue of long distance private communication (Wallace, 1998); this is considering that communication with others privately across long distances previously was too expensive and difficult. Business exchange information securely within computers and devices on these networks provided that only persons with real access to the network could share that information. Thus, communication across long distances enabled large businesses to lease private phone lines from service provider AT&T, and this meant that only business information was transmitted on the line. Therefore, a business establishment in Los Angeles was able to lease an entire phone line from AT&T to connect to their office in Atlanta, Georgia. The business paid for the line without due regard to volume of data exchanged on it. This leased line solution used by business for private communication turned out to be costly that several businesses could not use this method of connectivity. Growth of VPNs A Virtual Private Network conceals the line between the open public internet and a closed private leased line network (Wouters and Bantoft, 2006). Kosiur (1998) calls them virtual to indicate that although circuit between two sites could be treated as a private line, it was not physically wired and served only as a linkage when traffic was passing over the circuit. The evolution VPNs started with earlier usage of frame relay technology, whereby businesses would enjoy secure method of communication by utilizing a router at each endpoint. They became important because of the usage of less equipment to form a secure connection than leased lines (Dern, 1992). Moreover, they were comparatively cheap than leased lines, considering the overall expense and the inability to exhaust all the bandwidth of the leased line. Considering all the advantages it had, there were still costly issues that accompanied its usage; for example, maintenance, and this led to development of an Internet-based VPN. This technology used open and readily available Internet to form a secure connection amongst multiple users including those in remote locations, and connections were established when needed and terminated after data transmission (Berger, 2012). VPNS can be created in two approaches, whereby the first approach uses IPSec authentication and encryption services between end points of an IP network, while the second approach is through tunneling protocols, this allows the establishment of a tunnel between endpoints on a network. The following is a list and a brief description of the most common protocols: Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) a Cisco-software tunneling that forms a virtual point-to-point link that enables numerous protocols to be encapsulated in IP tunnels Layer 2 Forwarding (L2F) is also a Cisco-software that used dial-up connection and was built for virtual private dial-up networks -VPDNs, and these enabled a computer through the use this connection to build private link to a company network, and it was later substituted by L2TP Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) was designed by Cisco and Microsoft to substitute L2F and PPTP (Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol) by combining the abilities the two into one tunneling protocol The Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) developed by Microsoft to enable secure sharing and exchange of data from remote networks to the corporate network VPNs employ four major basics from the IPSec security protocols; algorithms required for encryption, secure key exchange, key exchange mechanisms, and SA definitions and maintenance. However, IPSec accomplishes this at layer 3, and through the original security in IPSec VPNs, this tool has become the towering protocol in business use currently across industries, service providers, and government networks. IPSec was in place while the next generation of IP protocols, IPv6, was being developed, and this meant that IPSec would be originally supported in IPv6. The adoption of IPv6 was sluggish; IPSec was made backward compatible with IPv4 to provide security for the IPv6 packets. VPN applications can remain to depend and apply IPSec for generations to come since through IPSec VPNs can accomplish data confidentiality, data integrity, and message authentication and sender non-repudiation. In addition, IPSec’s hashes, native cryptography, and headers protocol create a very secure and stable VPN application Businesses institutions in any given industry have transformed from being centrally located into highly distributed and closely networked collections of offices at distributed locations. A distributed network gives many advantages, these include greater hiring flexibility, and lower overhead costs an increased worker satisfaction. The only counter offer of a distributed network is the high cost of maintaining and keeping up networked connections between distributed offices. Expenses used in setting up a WAN can be huge; more so, in respect to the rise in the number of offices, and most of the costs is veered towards leased-line connections, this are expensive. Advantages of VPNs This main reason why VPNs have become important tools for enterprises trying to connect dispersed offices and employees is that it enables linkages of offices, business partners without leased lines. In addition, they enables connection of offices that are everywhere by using the existing internet infrastructure and connection at each office (Railsback, 2001). Furthermore, VPNs ensure secure communications between offices, allow mobile workers to connect through dial-up connections. Increased availability of IPSec- capability routers and software VPN clients, has enabled small businesses to roll out secure VPN connections to remote offices, employees, and business partners. A permanent linkage between end nodes that attract a monthly fee and involve contract negotiation is not needed when using VPNs and again no out of the ordinary equipment are also needed. Therefore, this gives the VPNs an advantage compared to the leased lines since VPN is an inexpensive way of encryption, tunneling, service used to carry traffic over the internet, a managed IP network, or a provider’s backbone and verification and access control technologies (Salamone). Conclusion The use of VPN leads to large increase in network load leading to time delay; however, this is insignificant if security and privacy is valued. VPN provides an effective and flexible form of secure information exchange and sharing over long distances, but it requires hardware and program upgrade, which if not affected then a businesses may suffer delays. Technological developments continue to evolve and it is becoming more relevant to business environment, evolution comes with easier applicability coupled with reduced cost. This implies that sharing and exchange of information within an establishment, other dispersed locations or between strategic partners has become more relevant than before. Therefore, VPNs have made significant impact to business establishments in contrast to technology that was earlier being used that is the leased lines. Hence, there is increased pressure for business to report higher revenues and profits prompts them to adopt and utilize technologies that are cost effective and user efficient. Works Cited Bidgoli, H. (2005). Handbook of Information Security: Key Concepts, Infrastructure, Standards, and Protocols. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Berger, Hans.(2012). Automating with Simatic: Controllers, Software, Programming, and Data. Hoboken: Wiley. Wallace, Bob.(1998).“Users exchange private lines for SDN service.” Network World 4 : 51 Kosiur, D. R. (1998) Building and Managing Virtual Private Networks. New York: Wiley. Dern, D. (1992).Business users find internet is more than Email. InfoWorld 14):37 internet source Railsback, K. (2001). VPNs: The new network link. InfoWorld 23:5 internet source Salamone. Internet week. 1998 Online Bantoft, K., and Wouters, P..(2006) Openswan Building and Integrating Virtual Private Networks. Birmingham: Packt Pub, Internet resource. Stats, I. W. (n.d.). Internet Usage Statistics. 2012 Online< www.internetworldstats.com> Lammle, T.(2005). Ccna Cisco Certified Network Associate Study Guide. San Francisco, Calif: SYBEX, Internet resource. Read More