Netgear FWAG114 FWAG114 Reference Manual - Page 167

Appendix E Virtual Private Networking There have been many improvements in the Internet including Quality of Service, network performance, and inexpensive technologies, such as DSL. But one of the most important advances has been in Virtual Private Networking (VPN) Internet Protocol security (IPSec). IPSec is one of the most complete, secure, and commercially available, standards-based protocols developed for transporting data. What is a VPN? A VPN is a shared network where private data is segmented from other traffic so that only the intended recipient has access. The term VPN was originally used to describe a secure connection over the Internet. Today, however, VPN is also used to describe private networks, such as Frame Relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS). A key aspect of data security is that the data flowing across the network is protected by encryption technologies. Private networks lack data security, which allows data attackers to tap directly into the network and read the data. IPSec-based VPNs use encryption to provide data security, which increases the network's resistance to data tampering or theft. IPSec-based VPNs can be created over any type of IP network, including the Internet, Frame Relay, ATM, and MPLS, but only the Internet is ubiquitous and inexpensive. VPNs are traditionally used for: Virtual Private Networking E-1