Today, your office is where you are: at a cafe, at home, at the airport. Customers, partners and contractors need access to your business from anywhere. Today’s users require secure remote access from an increasingly diverse collection of devices, many of which are unknown, unmanaged, and potentially dangerous. Organizations must ensure that they have a secure remote access infrastructure in place so that they do not compromise the security of the network and confidential business information.
SSL VPN is the right solution if your organization has individual remote users who need to access the corporate network resources securely.
SSL VPN meets Flexible Remote Access Requirement Today’s business environment is becoming highly mobile and open. Employees are extending their workday by carrying work home, telecommuters are rising, road warriors are accessing the corporate network from multiple locations and devices. On the other side, companies of all sizes recognize that remote access has the power to drive productivity, improve customer service and add agility to the corporate business model by allowing users timely and secure access to valuable resources regardless of location. This calls for a highly flexible remote access solution and SSL VPN fills the needs.
The use of SSL solves a variety of problems associated with IPSec VPNs, including:
- Location and Platform Independence—Because they connect to the network through a web browser, SSL VPNs enable access from anywhere, independent of the platform used. Organizations struggle with having to deploy IPSec VPN clients on each client device, severely limiting access to a set of employees over an individual device, leaving the corporate network out of reach for what can easily be considered the most basic requirement – anywhere access. While remaining inadequate in meeting the mobile requirements, the cost of purchase and deployment of IPSec VPN clients exerts needless pressure on the organization’s financial and personnel resources.
- How Much Access to Whom - SSL VPN solutions allow organizations to deliver the level of access required by each connecting person as well as the location from which they access. Partners, suppliers and customers can be given access to specific portals, while employees can be offered more open access to key servers, based on their work requirement. SSL VPN allows organizations to create user identity-based access policies, offering granular network access to employees, partners and customers based on the user identity and work profile. Thus, it enables organizations to open corporate networks to employees and business associates while retaining control over Who Accesses What.
By ruling out open access to the corporate network, SSL VPNs bring about the balance between security and flexibility. - Browser-based access controls— SSL VPN has some unique features when compared with other existing VPN technologies. SSL VPN provides a secure connection between remote users and internal network resources. Today, this SSL function exists ubiquitously in modern web browsers. Unlike traditional IP Security (IPSec) remote-access VPN technology, which requires installation of IPSec client software on a client machine before a connection can be established, users typically do not need to install client software in order to use SSL VPN. As a result, SSL VPN delivers the functionality of a “clientless VPN” or “Web VPN”.
Remote access has never before been easier since no client software is required by users for their laptops and PCs. Users are able to access corporate applications or shared files with just standard web browsers, no pre-installed or pre-configured VPN software is required with SSL VPN.
Another SSL VPN advantage over IPSec VPN is its ease of use for end users. Different IPSec VPN vendors may have different implementation and configuration requirements. SSL VPN, on the other hand, requires only a modern web browser. End users may even choose their favorite web browsers without being restricted by the operating system. - Seamless Integration—SSL VPNs integrate seamlessly with the existing firewall infrastructure and does not interfere with basic firewall functions operating at the IP Layer. This enables users to leverage their existing network infrastructure without the need to purchase additional hardware.
SSL VPN over UTM
UTMs are total security appliances which are all-inclusive, turn-key solutions that include the key security features you need to secure your network, including firewall, VPN, gateway anti-virus and anti-spam, content filtering, bandwidth management, multiple link management. Organizations today want traveling employees and contractors to have fast and immediate network access. SSL VPN allows companies to have simplified and efficient network access.
With Cyberoam delivering SSL VPN over its UTM appliance range, organizations have the ability to deploy secure remote access while balancing security with business flexibility. Location, platform and device-independent SSL VPN on Cyberoam UTM delivers high levels of secure remote access while supporting full business flexibility by allowing web as well as client-based VPN.
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