A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a private network that is built over a public network. A VPN protocol is a set of technologies used to build a VPN. The most common VPN protocols are: PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, SSTP, and IKEv2.
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Introduction
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a VPN protocol that encapsulates PPP traffic using the SSL protocol. SSL is a security protocol that provides communication security between two computers. It is often used to encrypt data sent over the Internet, such as when you are using a VPN connection.
The Different Types of VPN Protocols
VPN protocols are the set of instructions used to tunnel traffic through an untrusted network. A VPN tunnel uses cryptography to secure data as it travels through the untrusted network. The most common VPN protocols are PPTP, L2TP/IPsec, OpenVPN, and SSTP.
Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP)
Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) is one of the most commonly used VPN protocols. It was developed by a consortium founded by Microsoft, Ascend Communications, 3COM, and others in 1999.
It’s based on the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), which is used to implement VPNs and establish secure connections over public networks. When combined with IPsec encryption, PPTP provides strong security for both remote access and site-to-site VPNs.
However, PPTP has known security vulnerabilities and is no longer considered secure. As a result, it has been replaced by more secure protocols such as L2TP/IPsec and IKEv2/IPsec.
Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP)
Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP) is a combination of two existing technologies, Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) and Layer 2 Forwarding (). L2TP uses UDP port 1701. L2TP does not provide confidentiality or strong authentication by itself. IPsec is often used to secure L2TP packets by providing confidentiality, authentication and integrity.
L2F provided bridging of remote dial-up users to their corporate intranet. L2F was developed by Cisco and Microsoft and first published in 1999.
PPP provides a standard method for transporting multi-protocol datagrams over point-to-point links. PPP was originally designed to work over serial links but has been extended to work over a variety of link layer technologies, including Ethernet, HDLC, and ATM networks.
Because L2TP merges the best features of these two existing technologies, it offers some advantages over them:
– It supports multiple protocols, including IPv4, IPv6, and IPX.
– It can be used over any link layer technology that supports UDP, including IPsec-encrypted tunnels.
– It offers better security than PPTP because it uses IPsec for encryption.
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a VPN protocol that encapsulates PPP traffic using the SSL protocol. SSL uses a combination of public-key and symmetric-key encryption to protect traffic as it traverses the Internet. A major advantage of using SSL is that it can be configured to use existing certificates and authentication procedures, which simplifies deployment.
Internet Protocol Security (IPsec)
IPsec is a set of protocols used to secure Internet Protocol (IP) communications by authenticating and encrypting each IP packet of a data stream. IPsec also includes protocols for establishing mutual authentication between agents at the beginning of the session and negotiation of cryptographic keys to be used during the session.
IPsec is often implemented in virtual private network (VPN) applications to protect data transmissions over public networks such as the Internet. However, it can also be used in other scenarios such as securing communications between servers within an organization’s internal network.
There are two main modes of operation for IPsec: transport mode and tunnel mode. Transport mode is typically used for point-to-point communications, while tunnel mode is used for site-to-site or remote access VPNs.
IPsec uses a variety of encryption and authentication algorithms to secure data packets. The most commonly used algorithms are the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for encryption and the SHA-2 family of hashing algorithms for authentication.
The Different Types of Encapsulation
There are different types of encapsulation that can be used in VPN protocols in order to ensure the security of data. One example of encapsulation is the use of the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) which is a protocol that is often used to protect web traffic. SSL uses encryption to protect data and it can also be used to authenticates both the server and the client.
Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)
Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) is a standard for connecting two devices over a point-to-point connection. It is commonly used to connect two computers over a modem or two routers over a dedicated link. PPP encapsulates data packets using various protocols, including the Link Control Protocol (LCP) and the Network Control Protocol (NCP).
Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE)
GRE is a tunneling protocol developed by Cisco that can encapsulate a wide variety of protocol packet types inside IP tunnels, creating a virtual point-to-point link to Cisco devices at remote points over an IP internetwork. A GRE tunnel uses IP addresses to carry data. The main advantage of using GRE is that it can transport any type of data without the need to put extra headers and trailers on every packet. This results in smaller packets and greater efficiency. Another advantage of using GRE is that it allows you to create secure tunnels by encrypting the data before it is sent over the network.
Conclusion
-L2TP/IPSec: This is a coordinated effort between the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) and the Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol (ISAKMP). It uses the IPSec protocol for encryption and can operate in either a tunnel mode or transport mode. In tunnel mode, it encrypts the entire PPP packet; in transport mode, it only encrypts the data portion of the PPP packet.
-SSTP: This is a Microsoft protocol that uses SSL to encapsulate PPP traffic. It can operate in either a tunnel mode or transport mode. In tunnel mode, it encrypts the entire PPP packet; in transport mode, it only encrypts the data portion of the PPP packet.
-IKEv2: This is a Cisco protocol that uses IPSec for encryption. It can operate in either a tunnel mode or transport mode. In tunnel mode, it encrypts the entire PPP packet; in transport mode, it only encrypts the data portion of the PPP packet.
