From ScotLUG

VPNs - Network Security's Magic Bullet

by James Eaton-Lee (njan)

1930, Thursday August 2nd 2007

at the Edinburgh Training and Conference Venue

Summary:

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are very powerful and often simple to create. Their

power is frequently applied to the wrong problems, leading to overall security being

much worse, even though the administrators feel it has been improved.

• VPNs are a technology that allows network traffic to be tunnelled from one place to another, over a network infrastructure like the internet, to create a sort of virtual network cable from one place to another.

• This technology is often used to join disconnected sites up over the internet (more and more commonly replacing expensive private circuits) or to allow roaming staff or staff who work from home (or partners, clients, etc) to connect into the business/corporate LAN.

• In several incarnations (pptp, ipsec, ssl), VPNs are frequently implemented by businesses to add security to a system that isn't considered secure enough to connect to the internet (such as corporate banking and other business applications) or to mitigate other risks.

• VPNs have security concerns of their own which are often not considered, and there are frequently better and more practical ways of allowing people access to systems and data.

• VPNs are not a magic bullet!

Slides, pretty diagrams, bouncy talking head...