Virtual private networks (VPNs) were intended to usher in a new generation of enterprise data networking by moving companies from dedicated private connection infrastructure to shared public connection infrastructure. The benefits of using public rather than private infrastructure for connecting disparate local area networks (LANs) include greater flexibility and faster time to market through the use of any connection; improved security through the use of open, standards-based encryption and authentication technologies; and lower costs by capturing the economies of scale of public versus private infrastructure.
VPN technologies provide advanced networking and security capabilities, including:
Tunneling: Encapsulation technology that wraps unroutable packets (using private address space) inside routable packets (using public address space) for delivery across public networks
Encryption: Encoding packets using secret keys to prevent reading or tampering as they traverse the public network
Authentication: Guaranteeing the identities and authorization of remote systems
VPN technologies are mature and well proven. Unfortunately, it has been difficult for companies to realize the benefits of VPNs over private connection infrastructures because VPN technologies have been difficult to successfully deploy and manage. These difficulties have caused companies to implement VPNs that compromise security because they are one or more of the following:
Incomplete - Strong encryption is implemented without strong authentication, as public key infrastructure technology is even more complex than VPN.
Overly complex - A mixture of strong and weak encryption is used to accommodate export restrictions and the limitations of legacy hardware.
Impossible to manage - Static solutions are implemented because of the inability to manage dynamic changes.
Only partially deployed - Implementations are created that can only be deployed in locations with static public addressing and non-conflicting LAN IP address ranges.
Labor intensive - They rely heavily on manual procedures to ensure integrity and compliance with changing policies.
The best security technology in the world will not protect business critical information and applications if it cannot be deployed and managed in a reasonable manner. Corente Cloud Services Exchange uses a host of patented capabilities that build on best-in-class, standards-based security technologies to deliver a secure and manageable solution.