IT Business Edge provides a downloadable guide to IPsec VPNs which provides an overview of the types of security controls that can provide protection for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) network communications, which are widely used throughout the world. A framework of open standards for ensuring private communications over public networks, IPsec has become the most common network layer security control, typically used to create a virtual private network (VPN).
“VPNs are used most often to protect communications carried over public networks such as the Internet. A VPN can provide several types of data protection, including confidentiality, integrity, data origin authentication, replay protection and access control. Although VPNs can reduce the risks of networking, they cannot totally eliminate them. For example, a VPN implementation may have flaws in algorithms or software, or a VPN may be set up with insecure configuration settings and values. Both of these flaws can be exploited by attackers.”
