VPN Server
VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN)
A virtual private network (VPN) enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to a private network. It is a method used to add security and privacy to private and public networks that creates a safe, encrypted connection. It uses tunnelling protocols to encrypt data at the sending end, and decrypt it at the receiving end. The originating and receiving network addresses are also encrypted to provide better security for online activities and to access through a VPN, the user must be authorized to use by providing one or more authentication factors. These can be passwords, security tokens or biometric data. VPN apps are often used to protect data transmissions on mobile devices.
VPN actually creates a point-to-point connection or commonly known as tunnel that cannot be accessed by unauthorized users. To actually create the tunnel, the endpoint device needs to be running a VPN client and runs in the background.
VPN protocols ensure an appropriate level of security to connected systems, when the underlying network infrastructure alone cannot provide it. There are several different protocols used to secure and encrypt users and corporate data. They include:
– SSH (SecureShell)
– IP security (IPsec)
– Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) and Transport Layer Security (TLS)
– Point-To-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP)
– Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)
– OpenVPN
Why do you need VPN Server on SCADA System
Modern SCADA systems are networked and communicate over WAN systems using Fiber optic connections or Ethernet for data transmission among server nodes. While wireless communication such as GSM are now very popular among communication lines technology due to readiness infrastructure provided by third parties hence reduction in infrastructural investment cost in the end user side. However using 3rd party communication infrastructure can cause significant security risk in data breach due as 3rd party is normally also sharing the lines for public use.
VPN servers play a significant role to secure the data transfer using the public network by creating special tunnels that are very difficult to breach by hackers. The VPN server can secure almost all type data communication interfaces in SCADA systems.