Chapter 15 / 15.7 / 15.7.3

15.7.3 Virtual Private Networks

Organizations often need to communicate securely across the public Internet.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates an encrypted communication path between two locations, allowing information to travel safely across shared public networks.

To users, a VPN behaves much like a private communication network even though the information actually traverses the public Internet.

VPNs are widely used to:

• support remote working;
• interconnect company offices;
• protect sensitive information; and
• secure communications over public Wi-Fi networks.

The details of the underlying encryption mechanisms are largely transparent to users, allowing secure communication to be established without dedicated private infrastructure.