Remote Access: Virtual Private Network

1289 Words3 Pages

Introduction
Micro Widgets, Incorporated is a dynamic organization constantly looking to expand its customer base. To do so, the company utilizes the skills of a mobile sales force. Being mobile, the sales force requires access to the corporate network from time to time while on the road. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) issued a mandate that all employees of the organization have remote access to the corporate network. This enables the sales force to do their job. It also affords the company the ability to offer the benefit of working from home to the employees of the organization. This document will outline the protocols, roles and services necessary to offer remote access to anyone working for the organization.
Remote Access
Before discussing any specific solutions to provide remote access to the employees, the concept of remote access needs a clear definition. “Remote access is the ability to get access to a computer or a network from a distance. A remote access server is the computer and associated software that is set up to handle users seeking access to the network remotely” (Rouse, 2005). Opening a server or firewall to allow access without taking specific measures to secure the corporate network opens the organization to the potential for theft, data loss or downtime. A properly deployed remote access solution includes security measures to prevent this from happening.
Virtual Private Network
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the mechanism a remote user uses to connect a remote access server. For a Micro Widgets, Incorporated employee, a VPN allows for a secure transmission of data between two points across the Internet. “Companies maintain VPNs so that employees can access files, applications, printers, a...

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... organization and its data.

References
Geier, E. (2013). How (and why) to set up a VPN today. Retrieved from http://www.pcworld.com/article/2030763/how-and-why-to-set-up-a-vpn-today.html Microsoft. (2014). Network policy and access services. Retrieved from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/network/bb545879.aspx
Microsoft. (2014). Routing and remote access service. Retrieved from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd469790.aspx
Microsoft. (2009). VPN tunneling protocols. Retrieved from http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd469817(v=ws.10).aspx
Perrin, C. (2008). Understanding layered security and defense in depth. Retrieved from http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/it-security/understanding-layered-security-and-defense-in-depth/#.
Rouse, M. (2005). Remote access. Retrieved from http://searchmidmarketsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/remote-access

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