VPN (Virtual Private Networks)

Virtual Private Network (def.): A private data network that makes use of the public telecommunication infrastructure, maintaining privacy through the use of a tunneling protocol and security procedures.
(according to Vrtual Private Network Consortium)

    A VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows computers at different locations to communicate with each other in a safe and secure environment. This can be two computers at different offices or thousands of computers on different networks around the world.
    VPN is secure because it employs very strong encryption to protect your data as it travels across the internet. Even if a hacker or snooper were to try to eavesdrop on the communication they wouldn't be able to understand it because all the data is so highly encrypted.
    Another important security aspect of VPN technology is that VPN devices continuously monitor their data traffic in very sophisticated ways that ensure information is never altered while traveling across the public network.
    The most common use of the VPN technologies is for joining together two or more Local Area Networks, to form a biger virtual netwok. This way, the users and the servers located in different geografical areas are brought together, working as if they belonged to the same LAN.

    Advantages of the Virtual Private Network:
- simplicity: data transfers between network elements found at different locations become as easy as communicating inside a LAN;
- low prices: no need for dedicated lines between offices. The VPN takes advantage of the existing Internet connections;
- security: data transfered over the VPN is strongly encrypted using SSL.

    The SIA VPN servers are compliant with the current industry standards and offer a cost-effective, lightweight alternative to other VPN solutions. The SIA VPN servers are well-targeted for small and medium enterprises, their typical applications being:
- connecting two or more LAN's in an enterprise network;
- connecting to the enterprise network one or more roaming users (users which are not in physically in the office but access resources from the company's LAN over VPN). E.g.: one of the employees, which is working from home or on the field, may access the resources from the company's LAN by connecting to the VPN server located at the company's headquarter.

Read more about Virtual Private Network:
Wikipedia: Virtual private networks
Virtual Private Network Consortium: VPN Technologies: Definitions and Requirements