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Is the Internet the New WAN? (continued)

But that doesn't mean they do all the work. Even with carrier-based VPN, the IT department may be in charge of much of the day-to-day administration. Typically, the vendor will be called upon to address issues beyond the scope of the in-house team's capabilities, such as solving difficult problems or assisting with planning. The vendor also usually takes responsibility for fundamental requirements, such as meeting service-level agreements for network availability and mean time to repair.

How Private is "Virtually Private"?
Security can be the decisive factor in choosing between DIY and carrier-based VPNs. Because security administration is complex, some DIY VPN implementations have proved to be less than fully secure. But even though carrier-based VPNs have rarely presented security problems, Hansen argues that "it's dangerous to say that security is not an issue." His advice: Find a carrier that will perform a security audit, offer advice about security vulnerabilities and suggest the best ways of addressing them in each particular situation.

Most carrier-provided VPNs use the IPsec protocol, which operates at the network layer, for security. However, a recent report by Infonetics Research in Campbell, Calif., found that enterprises with heightened security needs were increasingly choosing the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol, which now accounts for about 21 percent of VPNs.

"SSL allows companies to limit user access to a few specific applications or data sources, and does so at the application layer, which is an improvement in security over IPsec," says Jeff Wilson, principal analyst for VPNs and security at Infonetics Research. Another benefit: SSL can be quickly set up as a disaster recovery solution, decreasing network downtime when other forms of access fail. (article continues)

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