Virtual Private Networks

Network-dependent companies are excited by the benefits promised
by the virtual private network, including lower costs, greater flexibility,
and improvements in connectivity. But they also have questions: What
benefits are real' How can they be measured' What are the expenses
and the dangers'

Virtual Private Networks: Making the Right Connection is an intelligent
introduction written especially for business and IT professionals who
want a realistic assessment of what a VPN can provide for their
organizations. Covering advantages and risks, this book expands your
understanding of what you can do with a VPN, while detailing all that
implementing it will demand of you. With its help, you'll find your way
through VPN hype to the answers you need to make sound decisions.

Features:

• Thoroughly explains VPN concepts and technologies, and examines the potential of VPNs as intranets, extranets, and remote access solutions
  
• Covers essential VPN topics like tunneling, encapsulation, encryption, security, and protocols
  
• Provides detailed points of comparison between typical VPN costs and the costs of maintaining traditional WANs
  
• Offers frank consideration of the hidden costs and risks sometimes associated with VPNs, helping you decide if a VPN is right for you
  
• Lists and assesses the software and hardware products you may need to implement a VPN
  
• Discusses both Internet-based VPNs and VPN services offered by providers of "private" ATM and frame relay networks, detailing the pros and cons of each

Table of contents

Chapter 1: Defining the VPN
Chapter 2: How to use a VPN
Chapter 3: The Downside to VPNs
Chapter 4: Internet versus Other VPNs
Chapter 5: Encryption
Chapter 6: User Authentication, Authorization and Key Management
Chapter 7: Tunnelling and the VPN Protocol Suites
Chapter 8: Architecture
Chapter 9: Planning Your VPN
Chapter 10: Administration and management