The explosive growth of mobile computing technology has dramatically changed the security landscape for organizations of all shapes and sizes.  It’s rare to find a knowledge worker today who doesn’t have three or more computing devices.  The typical teacher, administrator or office worker now has a work computer provided by the organization, a personal computer at home, and a smartphone that is either organization-owned or personally-owned.  With this wide range of computing devices at their disposal, users now expect to be able to access their work information regardless of location or device.

IT professionals today struggle to provide the ubiquitous access that users demand in a manner that is safe and secure.  For example, a teacher grading assignments on her laptop at a coffee shop may unwittingly disclose those grades to other users of an unsecured wireless network.  Similarly, an administrator logging into a financial system to check the monthly budget results may accidentally grant an eavesdropper access to the same system used to authorize purchase orders.

Most schools and government agencies recognize that these new work patterns are here to stay and, rather than regulate them away, must find methods to help users work in new ways while protected by an umbrella of security.  The most common solution to this problem is the implementation of a Virtual Private Network (VPN).  VPNs use encryption technology to securely extend an enterprise network to users at remote locations.  This protects them from eavesdroppers on the local network (or the Internet) while providing them with access to important information resources.

In this white paper, we explore the topic of VPNs in more detail.  You’ll learn about how VPN technology works, the roles that VPNs play in educational and governmental networks, and some best practices to help you avoid some common VPN pitfalls.

Read the full white paper: Virtual Private Networks