Difference between VPN SSL and Other Protocols

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When creating a VPN, one of the concerns is the security of the technology. One important factor to decide when determining security is the type of VPN protocol that is used to manage the connection between client computers and the remote host or server.

It may seem a simple task to decide which protocol to use, but in actuality, it will depend on the current situation, company needs, and type of hardware available. PPTP, L2TP, IPsec, and SSL are the well known examples of secure protocols used with VPNs. Most protocols require specific software configurations to use them with a VPN. But there is a difference between VPN SSL and other protocols.

Although all protocols have their individual strengths and weaknesses, Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL protocol, provides a VPN in a different way from the others. The difference in a VPN with SSL is that it establishes a connection to a specific application rather than a specific network segment.

For authentication, SSL uses digital certificates to insure security. A VPN SSL setup allows access to already web-enabled (http/html) content directly from the Internet over an SSL encrypted session. That is the key advantage of SSL; it can usually be used over an internet browser rather than with specific software.

This gives VPN SSL great portability for a company and its users. It can be used almost anywhere, as long as a computer has an internet browser. Employees don't need special hardware to access the network. VPN SSL protocol also provides a centralized authentication system, resulting in tighter security and the ability for administrators to control who connects to the VPN.

This ease of connection combined with the ability to narrow the selection of information to be shown to the client side of the VPN, makes SSL a great choice for a smaller organization that is looking for a more specific VPN for their needs or don't want to shoulder the cost of updating computer systems to be compatible with other protocols.

However, there are some disadvantages to add to the positive difference between VPN SSL. The more users connected, the heavier the burden will be on the available bandwidth. There are software and hardware ways to expand the SSL server's capability, but they are not foolproof. Another problem is that SSL web content is hard to mediate with a proxy because it is not always compatible with every browser available on the Internet.

This is coupled with information that can be left behind by a user such as browser cache to cookies. It creates a huge security risk because passwords and extra pieces of information like e-mail messages could be left behind for someone else to intercept. Trojans or viruses could also be transmitted over the VPN tunnel when users connect. These viruses might not be caught with the SSL VPN.