USING A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK FOR REMOTE WORKING FEBRUARY 2013

Transcription

1 USING A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK FOR REMOTE WORKING FEBRUARY 2013

2 Table of Contents Introduction...3 What is a Virtual Private Network?...3 Why would I want to use a VPN?...3 How can I obtain a VPN?...4 How will I connect to my office computers remotely over a VPN?...4 Conclusion...5 For more information...5 2

3 Introduction In this document we will look at the benefits of using a Virtual Private Network to enable secure remote working environments. What is a Virtual Private Network? A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, allows you to easily create a secure connection over the public internet between networked computers in your office, and a remote location. The remote location is typically a computer in your home office, or a laptop connecting from a wireless hotspot such as a hotel or airport. The secure connection prevents unauthorised people on the internet from accessing resources which only the business users should have access to. Why would I want to use a VPN? The use of a VPN creates a convenient and secure remote working environment. For example, a business may have a computer in an office that contains a centralised repository of files for employees. Without the ability to securely connect to this computer from locations outside the office network, employees resort to making copies of files onto laptops and removable USB drives. Another common practice is for people to copies of files to themselves. This results in multiple file copies, and things can very quickly get out of control trying to track which files are the most recent and should be backed up, and which ones can be safely discarded. Figure 1 Using a VPN router to secure remote connections to the office network. Being able to work remotely means that you can simply access the office computer over the internet in the same way as if you were physically sitting at the computer in the office. A VPN ensures connections are fully encrypted over the public internet. Starting a VPN connection from a remote computer is a simple one click step. 3

4 How can I obtain a VPN? A VPN is enabled for your business by using a network router featuring built in VPN functionality. Your existing router may need to be replaced or augmented with one that supports a VPN. The associated VPN software (needed to enable remote VPN connections) is free. There are no additional software licensing costs. How will I connect to my office computers remotely over a VPN? Once you have successfully established a connection to your office network using the VPN software, there are two common ways in which you can access a computer remotely. Both of these methods are either built into all popular desktop operating systems, or can be downloaded as third party utilities for no cost. Figure 2 Accessing a remote computer hard drive over a VPN in Windows Explorer. You can connect to and browse the contents of a remote computer's hard drive using your operating system's file manager (for example, Windows Explorer, or the Mac OS X Finder). It is no different in practice to browsing your own computer's hard drive contents, and you can simply drag and drop files and folders to the remote computer's hard drive icon to upload and download your documents. Alternatively, you can use a remote desktop utility to connect to the remote computer. You can see and use your desktop shortcuts, applications, and files exactly as if you were sitting at the computer itself. This is a fantastic way of using applications remotely. Both methods perform best over a broadband connection. 4

5 Figure 3 Using a remote desktop utility to connect to a Windows computer. Conclusion The ability to create a working environment away from your office gives you an edge over your competition. Employees can save time and money on travelling and parking, and your business will enjoy a significant increase in flexibility and productivity, especially in conjunction with other remote working tools 1. A VPN ensures the process is straightforward and secure. For more information Contact: info@apertura.co.nz 1 See: Apertura Designs Ltd Auckland, New Zealand Apertura Designs. All rights reserved. Made exclusively with open source, open standards software. 5