{"id":3276,"date":"2023-02-19T16:18:58","date_gmt":"2023-02-19T16:18:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/chapter\/virtual-private-networks-vpns\/"},"modified":"2025-05-28T14:59:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-28T14:59:16","slug":"virtual-private-networks-vpns","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/chapter\/virtual-private-networks-vpns\/","title":{"raw":"Learn It 17.3.3: Managing Information","rendered":"Learn It 17.3.3: Managing Information"},"content":{"raw":"<h2>What Is a VPN?<\/h2>\r\n<p>A\u00a0<strong>virtual private network<\/strong>\u00a0(<strong>VPN<\/strong>) extends a\u00a0private network\u00a0(intranet) across a public network (Internet), and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Applications running across a VPN may therefore benefit from the functionality, security, and management of the private network while taking advantage of the flexibility of the Internet.<\/p>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_7700\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"wp-image-7700 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/02\/19211409\/L17.3.3-300x225.png\" alt=\"A diagram showing the connections in an Internet VPN. There are four users or locations with computing machines: The head office, two regional offices, and remote\/roaming users. Each user is connected to the others via the internet.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/> Figure 1. Using a VPN is one way a business can protect sensitive information.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<p>In a business setting, remote-access VPNs allow employees to access their company's\u00a0intranet\u00a0from home or while traveling outside the office. Site-to-site VPNs allow employees in geographically separated offices to share one cohesive virtual network.<\/p>\r\n<p>To ensure security, the VPN connection is established using encryption protocols and VPN users use authentication methods, including passwords or certificates, to gain access to the VPN.\u00a0Although VPNs cannot make online connections completely secure, they can increase privacy and security. For example, to prevent disclosure of private information, VPNs typically allow only authenticated remote access using encryption\u00a0techniques.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Security Advantages of a VPN<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>even if the network traffic is accessed, an attacker would see only\u00a0encrypted data<\/li>\r\n\t<li>sender\u00a0authentication\u00a0is required to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the VPN<\/li>\r\n\t<li>the VPN messaging is designed to detect instances of tampering with transmitted messages<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<p>As security concerns continue to grow in the digital age, more and more companies are emerging to serve the growing demand for VPN services. Which service a business chooses will be determined by its planned uses for the VPN.<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\">[ohm2_question height=\"350\"]6854[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>","rendered":"<h2>What Is a VPN?<\/h2>\n<p>A\u00a0<strong>virtual private network<\/strong>\u00a0(<strong>VPN<\/strong>) extends a\u00a0private network\u00a0(intranet) across a public network (Internet), and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. Applications running across a VPN may therefore benefit from the functionality, security, and management of the private network while taking advantage of the flexibility of the Internet.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_7700\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7700\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-7700 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/02\/19211409\/L17.3.3-300x225.png\" alt=\"A diagram showing the connections in an Internet VPN. There are four users or locations with computing machines: The head office, two regional offices, and remote\/roaming users. Each user is connected to the others via the internet.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/02\/19211409\/L17.3.3-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/02\/19211409\/L17.3.3-768x577.png 768w, https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/02\/19211409\/L17.3.3-65x49.png 65w, https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/02\/19211409\/L17.3.3-225x169.png 225w, https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/02\/19211409\/L17.3.3-350x263.png 350w, https:\/\/content-cdn.one.lumenlearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2023\/02\/19211409\/L17.3.3.png 780w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-7700\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Figure 1. Using a VPN is one way a business can protect sensitive information.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In a business setting, remote-access VPNs allow employees to access their company&#8217;s\u00a0intranet\u00a0from home or while traveling outside the office. Site-to-site VPNs allow employees in geographically separated offices to share one cohesive virtual network.<\/p>\n<p>To ensure security, the VPN connection is established using encryption protocols and VPN users use authentication methods, including passwords or certificates, to gain access to the VPN.\u00a0Although VPNs cannot make online connections completely secure, they can increase privacy and security. For example, to prevent disclosure of private information, VPNs typically allow only authenticated remote access using encryption\u00a0techniques.<\/p>\n<h3>Security Advantages of a VPN<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>even if the network traffic is accessed, an attacker would see only\u00a0encrypted data<\/li>\n<li>sender\u00a0authentication\u00a0is required to prevent unauthorized users from accessing the VPN<\/li>\n<li>the VPN messaging is designed to detect instances of tampering with transmitted messages<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As security concerns continue to grow in the digital age, more and more companies are emerging to serve the growing demand for VPN services. Which service a business chooses will be determined by its planned uses for the VPN.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm6854\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=6854&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm6854&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"350\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"menu_order":16,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)\",\"author\":\"Linda Williams\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"Virtual Private Network overview image\",\"author\":\"Ludovic.ferre\",\"organization\":\"Wikimedia\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Virtual_Private_Network_overview.svg\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by-sa\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":3260,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"original","description":"Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)","author":"Linda Williams","organization":"Lumen Learning","url":"","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":""},{"type":"cc","description":"Virtual Private Network overview image","author":"Ludovic.ferre","organization":"Wikimedia","url":"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Virtual_Private_Network_overview.svg","project":"","license":"cc-by-sa","license_terms":""}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/3276"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/3276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9776,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/3276\/revisions\/9776"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3260"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/3276\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=3276"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=3276"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontobusiness\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=3276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}