[Discussion] VPN - why?

[Esther Schindler]

The advice is not to use *wifi* from such places because they are  
insecure connections by default. But if you're using a VPN, the data  
is encrypted on both sides.

On May 18, 2007, at 4:17 AM, Brad Montroy wrote:

> Gosh Esther, don't sugar coat it.<G>
>
> Another piece of advice I've heard about this - Don't ever use a  
> VPN from a
> public access point, like Starbucks or a hotel, because anyone in  
> the area
> can capture your data stream - It is not secure.
>
> Brad
> ==============================
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Esther Schindler" <esther at bitranch.com>
> To: "POSSI Discussion List" <discussion at lists.possi.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 6:52 AM
> Subject: Re: [Discussion] VPN - why?
>
>
>> On May 16, 2007, at 3:00 AM, Phil Parker wrote:
>>> My university now offers a VPN connection, if I want to use it, for
>>> off-campus
>>> machines.
>>>
>>> Should I be interested? If so, why, or where can I read about why?
>>> (I tried
>>> searching VOICE newsletters, but didn't find anything relevant.)
>>
>> I can't tell whether you SHOULD be interested, but I can offer a bit
>> of explanation about what a VPN does.
>>
>> A VPN lets you gain access into an organization's network. When
>> you're signed into the VPN, you are inside the firewall. Thus, you
>> can access network drives and run applications that cannot be reached
>> from outside. (And, obviously, those resources *shouldn't* be reached
>> from outside.) In my case, that means that I can run the CIO.com
>> content management system, and I can get to the shared drive where we
>> store the "articles in progress" database.
>>
>> But when you log into the VPN, you really _are_ in the remote
>> network. In my case, that means that once I'm connected to the CXO
>> Media network, I can no longer see the other computers on the
>> network, and I can no longer use my remote network printers. (The
>> latter is sometimes a pain.)
>>
>> Are there computing resources available only from University systems
>> that you need to access? Which currently make you sigh and say,
>> "Darn, I'll have to wait until I get to the office tomorrow"? If so,
>> you could use a VPN.
>>
>> I'll warn you, though. VPNs are strange and arcane things. Getting
>> them working requires eyes of newt, the dark of the moon, and
>> sometimes, I suspect, human sacrifices. Even when they "work" they
>> can be problematical. It makes sense to use a VPN when you need it,
>> but it's not a task for the faint of heart. (Do you have the strength
>> of ten because your heart is pure? Okay, then. Go right ahead.)
>>
>> Esther
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>
>
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