Remote-access VPN challenges

Posted by Akshya Saxena on June 3rd, 2019

The downside of remote access via VPN is that performance can vary greatly depending on a number of factors. These include the internet service being used, the encryption method and the endpoint the user is connecting from.

For example, a worker connecting via fiber to the home is likely to have significantly better performance than when establishing a VPN session from a hotel over shared Wi-Fi.

Unfortunately for workers, little can be done to improve performance as these issues are often well beyond the control of the company’s IT department.

Any corporate service can be accessed via a remote-access VPN, and most will run just find but applications that consume large amounts of bandwidth, such as video, or have low-latency requirements, like voice over IP (VoIP), may perform very erratically.

IPSec vs. SSL VPNs
Remote-access VPNs most commonly use IPSec or secure socket layer (SSL) to securely tunnel users to company networks with one significant distinction between the two. IPSec VPNs allow workers to access all company resources as if they were in the office. So all shared drives, applications and other assets are visible.

SSL VPNs typically provide connectivity to a single application, rather than the entire internal network. SSL VPNs have become increasingly popular because the SSL protocol requires fewer compute resources and gives IT more control over what remote users can or cannot see. Limiting access to a specific set of applications can protect the organization in the event the user’s device is breached.

SSL VPNs and IoT
The internet of things consists of a broad range of devices, many of the sensors that are used in corporate networks, from monitoring and controlling building systems to gathering data about machines in manufacturing plants.