What is VPN(Virtual Private Network)?

Virtual Private Network is a technology that allows you to connect to the internet via safe and encrypted tunnel to ensure that your online privacy and protect the data through hiding the IP address. This technology developed as a way to allow remote users and branch offices to securely access corporate applications and other resources.

Why VPN use for security?

When you go online internet connection assigned an IP address which is a number that corresponds to your connection. This IP address allows you to access the websites and other third parties to see your login information and sometimes they steal your personal information.

Through VPN your IP address is masked.Like you are logging into another server somewhere else in the world , which effectively act as a buffer between you and content that you’re accessing .So if you log onto a website from the Canada, but use a VPN server in the America, that website will think you’re based in the Canada. It won’t be able to access your information, keeping you anonymous.

Types of VPN :-

1.Remote Access VPN:- Remote access VPNs connect the user to a secure remote server in order to access a private network.

2.Site-to-Site VPN:- Their main goal is providing multiple users in fixed locations with the ability to access each other’s resources.

Different VPN Protocols:-

1.Point to point tunneling Protocol(PPTP)

2.Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol(L2TP)/IPSEC

3.Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol(SSTP)

Point To Point Tunneling Protocol(PPTP):-

1.PPTP Tunneling protocol is a network protocol mostly used with windows computers.

2.The Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol is an obsolete method for implementing virtual private networks.

3. It is fastest of all VPN protocols.

4. PPTP is not secure because of its weak encryption.

5 .PPTP uses the TCP port 1723 for communication and IP port 47 through the Tansport Control Protocol.

6.PPTP uses a client-design that operates at Layer 2 in OSI model.

7.Once VPN tunnel establish it supports two types of information flow:-Control Message , Data Packets.

Control Message:- These messages are for tearing down the VPN connection.Control messages pass directly between VPN client and server.

Data Packets:-Data packets pass through the tunnel, that is to or from the VPN client.

8.Any user with little knowledge can configure PPTP protocol easily.

Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol(L2TP)/IPSec:-

1.L2TP was developed by Microsoft and Cisco.This protocol takes various features from Microsoft’s PPTP and Cisco’s L2F(Layer 2 Forwarding) and improves on them.

2.L2TP is often paired with IPSec in order to secure the data payload.

3.When L2TP is paired with IPSec ,L2TP can use encryption keys of upto 256-bit and 3DES(is a symmetric-key block cipher, which applies the DES cipher algorithm three times to each data block).

4.L2TP works on different platforms but natively works on windows and macOS operating systems and devices.

5.L2TP normally uses on TCP port 1701, but when it’s paired with IPSec it also use UDP ports 500(for IKE – Internet Key Exchange),4500(for NAT), and 1701 (for L2TP traffic).

6.IPSec has two modes of operation,transport mode and tunnel mode.When operating in transport mode,the source and destination hosts must directly perform all cryptographic operations.Encrypted data is sent through a single tunnel that is created with L2TP.

Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol(SSTP):-

1.Secure Socket Tunneling Protocol is one of the most secure protocols used in VPN tunneling.

2.The protocol,though owned by Microsoft, is available to both Linux and Mac users.

3.SSTP users SSL/TLS(TLS is a cryptographic protocol that provides end-to-end communications security overnetworks) channel over TCP 443 port.

4.Has the ability to bypass most firewalls.

5.Supported by Microsoft and entirely integrated into windows operating system.