Design and Implementation of Virtual Private Networks (VPN) Security (A Case Study of Computer Science, Lab)
Chapter One
Objective and Research Questions
The main objective of this research project was to design and implement a functional secure virtual private network over the internet considering that use of traditional fixed telephones lines is not cost effective and it is unsecured.
Thus, the research questions were;
- How can a VPN be designed and implemented over the Internet to create intranet and extranet for corporate businesses in Cameroon that wish to incorporate suppliers, partners, remote users and remote offices over WAN?
- What are the security measures that are incorporated in the design and implementation of a VPN to ascertain data privacy, authenticity and access control?
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Virtual Private Networking (VPN)
A common requirement for the firewalls at the edge of a network is encrypting and decrypting specific network traffic flows between the protected network and external networks. This nearly always involves Virtual Private Networks (VPN) which use additional protocols to encrypt traffic, authenticate users and check integrity.
A virtual private network (VPN) is a technology that creates private networks through public networks. It is a private network that uses the Internet network to connect one network node to another providing secure network communication across untrusted networks. The data that is passed through the internet or intranet will be encapsulated and encrypted so that the data is guaranteed confidentiality. A virtual private network (VPN) is a secure tunnel that permits remote connections across a public network to access a LAN in an enterprise campus. VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a method of making a network private and secure over a public network such as the Internet using the concept of VPN tunnel. The tunnel can be created with various standards of ciphers and thus this data is secured [31].
Data is transported across a secure tunnel to ensure security, and VPN users must get access to the VPN server using authentication mechanisms such as passwords, or other identifying procedures. They are used to preserve and safeguard the integrity of communications as well as the secrecy of data and information during transmission using encryption. The data is encapsulated with a header containing the routing information to obtain a point-to-point connection so that it can pass through the public network and can reach its final destination [35].
Currently, VPN is regarded as a standard tool when dealing with critical security and router-related issues. VPN technology is highly recommended among most institutions and companies worldwide [36]. VPN provides institutions with an easy, inexpensive, and secure way of sending and receiving data across the world. This way anyone can browse and transfer data safely and securely over a public network by renting a leased line. BHU has more than one campus. It can choose VPN services for lower costs and reliable network security, rather than using WAN services [37]. Due to this enterprises, institutions and their clients can communicate securely on a cost- effective transmission.
Based on how users access the VPN in an enterprise organization, site-to-site VPNs and remote access VPNs are the two most common forms of VPNs.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND MATERIALS USED
Research Design
Data collection was based on the analysis of electronic documents. As such, data was obtained from several documents on why and how VPNs are implemented and what advantages they have compared to their alternatives. UML (Unified Modeling Language) was selected as a primary notation for this project. Thus, in this project, the researchers constructed use case, class and activity diagrams with the aid of Pacestar UML diagrammer.
The following materials were used as virtual items; Cisco Router 2901/1841, Personal computers and Server machines, 24-port LAN switch, Access point, Wireless router, DSL Modem, Dial–Up Modem, Cisco Packet Tracer version 8.2.0, Pacestar UML Diagrammer version 6.06, Windows 7
ANALYSIS OF THE SYSTEM
A simple system was conceived based on careful study of data. This has been demonstrated in the use case, class and activity diagrams respectively.
Use Case Diagram
This diagram illustrated how users of each system utilize their systems. The use case diagram took into consideration the remote access VPN and the intranet VPN.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS ANALYSIS
Remote Access IPSec VPN
This implementation covered secure access to intranet resources through the Internet by using VPN client software installed on the remote machine. In this paper since cisco routers were used, the VPN client software was the cisco VPN client or Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client. The client software performed encryption and decryption at the remote end whereas the VPN server carried out encryption and decryption at the HQ end. IPSec worked in this case in the transport mode. This can be shown by looking into a packet in transit from PC1 to a home user (PC0) as shown in Figure 18.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Conclusion
Virtual Private Networks form an integral part of remote business communications across the Internet due to the inherent risks that exist when sending private information over a public network. With the seemingly persistent increase in online identify theft and the hijacking of sensitive customer data by anonymous hackers, VPNs have been identified as an effective means of securing business data and thereby safeguarding reputation of various organizations.
Not only do VPNs prevent the unethical use of private business correspondence by unauthorized parties but they also play an important role in reducing the environmental impact of business travel. VPNs can reduce a company’s carbon footprint by allowing workers to securely access company resources from home thus saving a trip to the office or by using new services such as secure video conferencing allowing remote agents to attend meetings held at the main branch without traveling hundreds of miles to be there in person. Therefore, VPNs do not only provide security but they provide cost effective alternatives to long distance leased lines, DSL and fibre optics networks. Equally, their deployment can mitigate the impact of Covid-19 since people can use them from their various locations and avoid the aspect of travelling to attend meeting/conferences.
As such, the effectiveness and productivity of any organization in the present-day world is rooted to their IT infrastructure developed to support their policy in delivering services. VPN is a very effective way to reduce cost and deliver secure data communication links to connect offices located in different geographical areas with the aim of increasing productivity and achieving a outstanding results. This reality is an opportunity for businesses in Cameroon to establish connectivity with their branches, business partners, and customers in order to set and realize greater business goals for this country. Rather than maintaining multiple routers at many small branch and SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) sites companies can use an outsourced VPN service where the routers are managed by the ISP to reduce cost even further. MTN, Camtel and Orange can provide VPN services to their subscribers.
Recommendations
Upon the successful implementation of VPNs and highlighting the benefits that are accrued, in addition to the VPN designs covered in this research paper, it is worth making the following recommendations to companies in Cameroon that wish to deploy VPNs.
- Firstly, the researchers implore all organizations, agencies and departments in Cameroon to deploy VPN in connecting their various offices across the country to bring about a turnaround and improve service delivery.
- Rather than using only a single email/web/DNS/FTP server for the entire intranet, an organization which considers security as its top priority can make a bold decision of embracing the rather expensive solution of implementing an email/Web/DNS/FTP server at each This will reduce the amount of information that organization sends across the Internet and increase information access speeds. Home users or small office can equally be installed with an email/web/DNS/FTP server.
- With regards to the site-to-site implementation, as a cheaper solution, a company can outsource the installation and management of site1, site2 and site3 VPN servers to the Sites will then connect to VPN server using the host routers of their network.
- In the remote access case, a company can outsource the installation and management of their remote access VPN server to the This VPN server will then route traffic through a leased line, optic fibre, or DSL connection to the gateway router of the main office. Moreover, just using IPSec for remote access users is not enough. Remote access IPSec VPN implementation should always be associated with a tunneling protocol such as PPTP.
- In implementing a VPN it is worthwhile and preferable to use encryption techniques and authentication algorithms that offer more security. For instance instead of using MD5 for authentication, one should use SHA.
- Lastly, a company can evolve into an extranet by taking its intranet composed of remote offices, telecommuters, mobile users to the Internet in order to offer support for customers and business partners by deploying a demilitarized zone (DMZ) to host its email, DNS, FTP, and web servers. In computer networking, a DMZ is a firewall configuration for securing local area networks.
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