An Introduction to Secure Remote Access

INTRODUCTION In the last decade, the problem of establishing and controlling remote access to corporate networks has become one of the most difficult issues facing network administrators and information security professionals. As information-based businesses become a larger and larger fraction of the global economy, the nature of “business” itself changes. “Work” used to take place in a well-defined location — such as a factory, an office, or a store — at well-defined times, between relatively organized hierarchies of employees. But now, “work” happens everywhere: all over the world, around the clock, between employees, consultants, vendors, and customer representatives. An employee can be productive working with a personal computer and a modem in his living room, without an assembly line, a filing cabinet, or a manager in sight. The Internet’s broad acceptance as a communications tool in business and personal life has introduced the concept of remote access to a new group of computer users. They expect the speed and simplicity of Internet access to translate to their work environment as well. Traveling employees want their private network connectivity to work as seamlessly from their hotel room as if they were in their home office. This increases the demand for reliable and efficient corporate remote access sysP A Y O F F I D E A