Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Evaluating Your VPN Options

Security
Privacy and protection of data are of utmost importance when deploying services over the Internet. A comprehensive VPN solution should be built on an integrated security platform that supports some or all of the following security countermeasures:

Firewall
A firewall provides a strong barrier between the private network and the Internet. It can be set to restrict the number of open ports, the type of packets passed through and which protocols are allowed through.  A good VPN solution should provide a full-featured firewall based on Stateful Packet Inspection technology and Network Address Translation (NAT) to protect against intruders and Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. In addition, a firewall can provide application level security using proxies and filters to block specific Internet content. 

Virus Protection

Computer viruses are one of the leading security threats to Internet-connected networks. Users can unknowingly download and launch dangerous viruses that can damage data or cause computer crashes. Viruses can also be used as delivery mechanisms for hacking tools, compromising the security of the network, even if a firewall is installed. A good VPN solution should provide real-time virus protection utilizing a high-performance, ICSA-tested, anti-virus engine that checks both incoming and outgoing e-mail.

Content Filtering

Content filtering allows companies to control what materials can and cannot be accessed on the company’s computers. URL blocking, based on a frequently updated filter list, is the preferred method of content filtering because it blocks objectionable content while preserving access to valuable Internet resources.

Ease-of-use A small- to medium-sized business needs a VPN solution that is powerful enough to protect the network, but easy enough to set up and run with limited IT resources. Therefore, look for a solution with an intuitive, graphical interface that allows you to take the product out of the box and install it with minimal configuration. 

Scalability To protect your VPN investment, you need to consider the future growth of the organization. A VPN platform should provide an upgrade path for supporting more users, as well as, for integrating new security services, such as virus protection and content filtering. Choosing a security platform that is unable to scale means expensive upgrades.

Up-to-date Protection Security threats are constantly changing. Therefore, the VPN solution you choose should easily adapt by providing the ability to update the platform’s software to render protection against the latest threats.