What is VPN:

VPN, acronymic for Virtual Private Network, can be defined as connection network, that will be used to

add extra privacy and security to the personal or organizational network.

VPN operates on the IPsec, that is works with network layer to provide additional SSL. Virtual Private

Networks, used in remote accessibility of resources from anywhere, anytime.

Types of VPN:

Different VPN methods and protocols struggled for dominance. Microsoft's Point to Point Tunneling

Protocol (PPTP) was soon overshadowed by its more secure successor, the Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol

(L2TP), which combined features of PPTP and Cisco's Layer 2 Forward (L2F) and offered certificate-

based authentication. Outside the Microsoft realm, VPNs were commonly based on Internet Protocol

Security (IPsec). Whereas PPTP and L2TP operate at the data link Layer (Layer 2) of the OSI model,

IPsec operates at the network Layer (Layer 3). IPsec is a set of protocols that can provide more than just

encryption of the traffic in the tunnel (data confidentiality); it can also provide authentication of the

sender and integrity of the data (assurance that it hasn't been changed in transit). However, it's complex

and different vendors implement it slightly differently.

Enter the latest kid on the VPN block: SSL. The Secure Sockets Layer protocol works at the Application

Layer (Layer 1). It has been used for quite some time to secure Web transactions such as e-commerce and

Internet banking. Now it's an emerging trend in virtual private networking. In this first article in a four-

part series, we look at the different categories of SSL VPNs, advantages and disadvantages of using SSL

for your VPN, and the basics of how an SSL VPN works.

Technologies used to create VPN:

Setting up a Virtual Private Network is a straightforward process. It's often as simple as entering a

username and sever address. The dominant smartphones can configure Virtual Private Networks using

PPTP and L2TP/IPsec protocols. All major operating systems can configure PPTP VPN connections.

OpenVPN and L2TP/IPsec protocols require a small open source application (OpenVPN) and certificate

download respectively.

 IPsec

 Socket Layer and Secure Shell

 Authentication Headers

 Encapsulating Security Payloads

 ESP and AH Modes of Operation

 Security Associations