The politics of weighing SSL VPN vs. IPSec

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: TIM GREENE ON VPNS
09/06/05
Today's focus: The politics of weighing SSL VPN vs. IPSec

Dear networking.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* Sometimes political and business reasons rule when choosing
  VPN technologies
* Links related to VPNs
* Featured reader resource
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Ciena
Network World Executive Guide: Compliance can be an opportunity
for Network Improvements

Federal regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act are driving
increased corporate spending on key IT areas such as security,
authentication, access control and document management. Get
advice from experts. Read about real-world tactics. Learn about
the dark side of compliance: what happens when thing wrong. And,
how mandates are affecting IT budgets.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=112841
_______________________________________________________________
GAMBLING FORCES THE QUESTION: WHO CONTROLS THE 'NET?

A pair of Caribbean islands with a combined area about 2.5 times
that of Washington, D.C., and a population of about 68,000,
decided a while back to invest in Internet casinos as a way to
augment the tourist trade. Can the U.S. government prohibit U.S.
residents from partaking? Click here:
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=112418
_______________________________________________________________

Today's focus: The politics of weighing SSL VPN vs. IPSec

By Tim Greene

Often this newsletter focuses on the technical reasons for using
one VPN technology or the other, but as one reader points out,
sometimes political and business reasons rule the day.

The big claim for SSL VPN vendors is that their technology
requires no client software to allow at least some remote
access, and this is much simpler to set up and maintain than an
IP Security (IPSec) remote access VPN that requires installing a
full client for it to work at all. A pretty good reason to
consider SSL.

But many times VPNs are chosen as a way to connect with business
partners, and in that case, the simplicity of SSL can rule the
day. If IPSec is used, both parties have to agree on the
security levels to be used within the IPSec tunnels - one
company must be designated in charge of the VPN, which requires
some access to the client machines of the other company as well
as reconfiguring the partner's firewall to let VPN traffic
through. Each of these issues can be thorny.

The issues can become thornier, a reader says, when the
companies have layers of security policies. "I have not seen a
consistent security policy at any of our customers," says a
reader who is an integrator. "They can differ between
departments with these customers."

SSL VPNs don't have to address any of that. They use firewall
ports that are generally left open anyway and, therefore, get
around whatever policies - consistent or otherwise - partners
may use.

Not that there's anything wrong with IPSec for these purposes if
all parties cooperate, the reader says. "I guess when you boil
it down, it's more business politics, and the technology does
work if deployed properly on both sides," he says.

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. VoIP rollouts generate heat, power concerns
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlvpn6300>

2. Cell carriers tackle Katrina damage
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlvpn6393>

3. 2005 salary survey <http://www.networkworld.com/nlvpn4036>

4. Google dives deeper into networking
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlvpn6101>

5. Katrina news <http://www.networkworld.com/nlvpn6394>

Today's most-forwarded story:

Cell carriers tackle Katrina damage
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlvpn6395>

_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Tim Greene

Tim Greene is a senior editor at Network World, covering virtual
private networking gear, remote access, core switching and local
phone companies. You can reach him at <mailto:tgreene@nww.com>.
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by Ciena
Network World Executive Guide: Compliance can be an opportunity
for Network Improvements

Federal regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act are driving
increased corporate spending on key IT areas such as security,
authentication, access control and document management. Get
advice from experts. Read about real-world tactics. Learn about
the dark side of compliance: what happens when thing wrong. And,
how mandates are affecting IT budgets.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=112840
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

Breaking VPN news from Network World, updated daily:
http://www.networkworld.com/topics/firewalls.html

Archive of the VPN newsletter:
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/vpn/index.html
_______________________________________________________________
Webcast - Identify, prevent and adapt. Can your network do that?

Too much security and your business stops. Find out what steps
others are taking to protect information by establishing
standards, setting up policies and processes, and creating
assessment technologies. Learn more.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=112536
_______________________________________________________________
FEATURED READER RESOURCE
VoIP

For the latest in VoIP, check out NW's Research Center on this
very topic. Here you will find a collection of the latest news,
reviews, product testing results and more all related to keeping
VoIP networks performing at their best. Click here for more:
<http://www.networkworld.com/topics/voip.html>
_______________________________________________________________
May We Send You a Free Print Subscription?
You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered
at your fingertips each day. Now, extend your knowledge by
receiving 51 FREE issues to our print publication. Apply
today at http://www.subscribenw.com/nl2

International subscribers click here:
http://nww1.com/go/circ_promo.html
_______________________________________________________________
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World e-mail
newsletters, go to:
<http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/Changes.aspx>

To change your e-mail address, go to:
<http://www.nwwsubscribe.com/ChangeMail.aspx>

Subscription questions? Contact Customer Service by replying to
this message.

This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com
Please use this address when modifying your subscription.
_______________________________________________________________

Have editorial comments? Write Jeff Caruso, Newsletter Editor,
at: <mailto:jcaruso@nww.com>

Inquiries to: NL Customer Service, Network World, Inc., 118
Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772

For advertising information, write Kevin Normandeau, V.P. of
Online Development, at: <mailto:sponsorships@nwfusion.com>

Copyright Network World, Inc., 2005