What is A Cisco VPN or Cisco Virtual Private Network ?
Remote-access VPN's allow secure access using a Cisco vpn client to connect to corporate resources by establishing an encrypted tunnel across the Internet.VPN provides the highest level of security through the use of encryption technology that protects the information traversing the VPN from unauthorized access.
In today’s fast-paced business world secure remote connectivity to the office is essential. VPN enable fast, reliable, and secure connectivity to the corporate network from anywhere, anytime, with any device.
VPN technology takes advantage of already existing Internet infrastructure to add new sites or users, thus increasing the reach of the networks with very little changes to the existing infrastructure.
VPNs have become the logical solution for remote-access connectivity for the following reasons:
● Provides secure communications with access rights tailored to individual users, such as
employees, contractors, or partners
● Enhances productivity by extending corporate network and applications
● Reduces communications costs and increases flexibility
Key points of VPN Technology using cisco IPsec and cisco SSL VPN:
There are two primary methods for deploying remote-access VPNs: IP Security (IPsec) and
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Each method has its advantages based on the access requirements
of your users and your organization’s IT processes. While many solutions only offer either IPsec or
SSL,
Cisco ASA 5500 Series SSL VPN: Profile and Features
- Deployment Flexibility: Extends the appropriate SSL VPN technology, either clientless or full-network access, on a per-session basis, depending on the user group or endpoint accessing the network.
- Comprehensive Network Access: Broad application and network resource access is provided through the Cisco AnyConnect VPN Client, an automatically downloadable network-tunneling client that provides access to virtually any application or resource
- Unparalleled Management Flexibility: Simplifies the complexity of managing diverse remote-access connectivity requirements in today’s enterprise.
- One drawback to SSL VPN is that its not easilly controlled by Access policies due to the fact that the client coud be coming from anywhere on the NET
Cisco ASA 5500 Series IPSEC VPN: Profile and Features
- Traditionally more trusted and common use of windows cisco vpn technology
- IPsec VPN connections are established using pre-installed VPN client
- IPsec offers granular access policies, but no access to Web portals
- Cisco IPSEC tunnel is easier controlled on the Cisco Firewall as there is a defined access vpn client range
Remote-Access VPN Security Considerations
Worms, viruses, spyware, hacking, data theft, and application abuse are considered among the
greatest security challenges in today’s networks. Remote-access and remote-office VPN
connectivity are common points of entry for such threats, due to how VPNs are designed and
deployed. For both new and existing IPsec and SSL VPN installations, VPNs are often deployed
without proper endpoint and network security. Unprotected or incomplete VPN security can lead to
the following network threats:
● Allows remote-user VPN sessions to bring malware into the main office network, causing
virus outbreaks that infect other users and network servers
● Allows users to generate unwanted application traffic, such as peer-to-peer file sharing, into
the main office network causing slow network traffic conditions and unnecessary
consumption of expensive WAN bandwidth
● Enables theft of sensitive information, such as downloaded customer data, from a VPN
user desktop
● Enables hackers to hijack remote-access VPN sessions, providing the hacker access to the
network as if they were a legitimate user
To combat these threats, the user desktop and the VPN gateway that the user connects to must
be properly secured as part of the VPN deployment. User desktops should have endpoint security
measures such as data security for data and files generated or downloaded during the VPN
session, anti-spyware, antivirus, and personal firewall. The VPN gateway should offer integrated
firewall, antivirus, anti-spyware, and intrusion prevention. Alternatively, if the VPN gateway does
not provide these security functions, separate security equipment can be deployed adjacent to the
VPN gateway to provide appropriate protection.
Cisco remote-access VPN solutions offer threat-protected VPN services with full firewall, antivirus,
anti-spyware, intrusion prevention, application control, and full endpoint security capabilities.
These security services are integrated into the VPN platform, delivering a threat-protected VPN
solution without any additional equipment, design, deployment, or operational complexity.
Cisco Remote-Access VPN Solutions
Cisco Systems offers a variety of remote-access VPN solutions customized for small, mediumsized,
and large organizations. Available on the Cisco ASA 5500 Series VPN Edition and Cisco
integrated services routers, Cisco remote-access solution features include eb-based clientless
access and full network access without pre-installed desktop VPN software, threat-protected VPN
to guard against malware and hackers, cost-effective pricing with no hidden "per-feature" licenses,
and single-device solutions for both SSL and IPSec-based VPNs that deliver robust remote access
and site-to-site VPN services from a single platform.
The Cisco ASA 5500 Series Security Appliance is Cisco's most advanced SSL VPN solution,
delivering concurrent user scalability from 10 to 10,000 sessions per device and tens of thousands
of sessions per cluster through integrated load balancing. Converging VPN services with
comprehensive threat defense technologies, the ASA 5500 Series delivers highly customizable
remote network access while providing fully secured connectivity.
Cisco Integrated Services Routers enable organizations to use their existing router deployment to
provide full tunnel SSL VPN capabilities to as many as 200 concurrent users. Integrating security,
industry-leading routing, and converged data, voice, and wireless with Cisco IOS® SSL VPN
provides a highly manageable and cost-effective network solution for small and medium-sized
businesses and organizations.
More information on the CIsco VPN Solutions can be found bellow:
- Site-to-Site IPsec VPN: This alternative to frame relay or leased-line WANs allows you to extend your network resources to branch offices, home offices, and business partner sites.
- Remote Access VPN: This type of VPN extends almost any data, voice, or video application to the remote desktop, emulating the main office desktop
- SSL VPN : this type of VPN utilizes clientless access using an SSL enable Broweser to connect to the Corporate resources.
The Link to a cisco white paper provides more conceptual information on Cisco VPN solution
In the bellow free download section you can find cisco vpn dialer or cisco vpn adapters for Windows 7 and Windows vista
This the official Cisco site for the latest vpn client download (You need to have CCO login in order to be able to download that software )
Or alternatively use the bellow links for free software download cisco vpn clients software.
Download Cisco VPN Client 5.0.03 for Windows 32 bit
Download Cisco VPN Client 5.0.03 for Windows 64 bit
- Please visit this page to view a simple CISCO ASA 5520 configuration example
- Please visit this page to view a smple vpn Cisco-vpn-ipsec-configuration-example
To get a free assessment and recommendations on how to optimize your current Cisco VPN solution contact us here
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The bellow figure displays Cisco SSL vpn termination solution examople.
