Virtual Private Network- Scope and Security Issues

Gaining access to internet connections in remote areas is difficult under restrictive conditions. But remote access is quite common these days and the ease with which accessibility has increased, it has given boost to flexibility in users on file access. The internal private networks are insecure and are being accessed from various places like homes, airports and from access points which are externally located. Due to this the risk of data and files being exposed to threats and intruders is quite high. A VPN provides a solution to this problem with the help of a secure private network over an insecure public connection.

Virtual private networks are networks that help to circumvent around restrictions, internet censorship in some cases and also provide a secure connection in geographically separated servers. Virtual private network came into picture as with the coming of the internet era, the amount of internet data and traffic increased tremendously, leading to increase security and safety concern and restriction on the type of data being browsed. When this problem became clearer to the experts and technologists, virtual private networks were born. Virtual private networks have over the years helped by providing safe access to sites by acting as a proxy server link between private and public networks. Individuals who desire to remain anonymous while browsing can make use of these proxy servers and conceal their identity. VPNs provide safe and secure access to networks through tools like data encryption, tunneling and using firewall. They allow only authenticated user to access the networks. They are supposed to maintain the integrity of the networks by increasing resistance to hacking and data breaching. However in spite of various strong claims being made by these virtual network providers about their safety and security, they still are not fully reliable and trustworthy to be used blindly. VPNs over the years have developed a lot in terms of providing secure network connection but have not been able to address the problem fully. Still companies and organizations are skeptical about their security claims. There are certain limitations to the use of VPNs and because of which various studies have been done to analyze those limitations under various circumstances using various VPN network designs. . Since VPN providers claim to deliver new services and at the same time they offer a comprehensive security layer too. However, the efficacy of these security protocols is debatable along with the scalability of VPN connectivity.