Virtual Private Network Tools Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Virtual Private Network Tools - Term Paper Example This research tells that VPNs create a virtual tunnel over the publicly available internet through the use of symmetric encryption. Common encryption and decryption keys which are used to encrypt all traffic in both directions are shared by both sides of the tunnel. In addition to the provision of an alternative to the use of the proxy server for remote access to campus resources, VPN also ensures secure methods to authenticate to the campus wireless network hence data security through the use of encryption technologies such as PPTP, L2TP, IPSec, and SOCKS. For a smooth establishment and maintenance of a virtual private network, one is required to have appropriate networking software and hardware installed in their computers and the local network. VPN software enables a client to join a private network as if they are at a local computer within the network despite the physical distance the client might be away from the network. This software ensures the security of the private network through the use of cryptographic tunneling protocols to ensure confidentiality and message integrity. In order to completely set up a virtual private network, certain software and hardware tools known as the VPN tools are necessary.T his paper discusses in depth four VPN tools namely, OpenVPN, Cisco VPN Client, LogMeIn Hamachi, and Windows built-in VPN. OpenVPN is an open source software application for virtual private network implementation, meaning it can be downloaded and used for free. Its main role is to securely tunnel encrypted data from the server to the client or client to the server through a single port over an unsecured network. Its popularity among VPN users comes from the fact that it’s a multi-platform application that supports different platforms unlike most of the other VPN software applications. It