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Quick start on Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) VPN

November 05, 2020 ,

Today we are going to talk about Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) VPN and is a technology that provides remote-access VPN capability by using the security features that are already built into a all the Internet browser.

Let's talk about the various modes of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) VPNs. Requirement for SSL VPN

  • An SSL VPN account (username and password).
  • An SSL VPN supported browser, such as Internet Explorer with minimum required versions
  • Local administrative privileges for the thin-client and full tunnel installation requirements.

Clientless SSL VPN:
Clientless SSL VPN also called as WEBVPN. A clientless SSL VPN allows a remote user to use any common Web browser to securely access the internal or corporate network. This mode is useful for accessing most content that you would expect to access in a browser, such as Web content, databases, and online tools that employ a Web interface.

We will talk about the Clientless SSL VPN as WebVPN in detail. In this article we are just touching the concept of all SSL VPNs

Thin Client SSL VPN:
Thin Client SSL VPN also called as Port-Forwarding SSL VPN. A thin-client SSL VPN uses small Java-based applet plug-in to the remote client which is used to secure remote access for Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) applications.

Fig 1.1- Thin Client SSL VPN

Again, We will talk about the Thin Client SSL VPN as WebVPN in detail. In this article we are just touching the concept of all SSL VPNs

Full Tunnel SSL VPN:
Full tunnel mode downloads client-side VPN software to the remote workstation and allows secure access to most IP-based applications on an internal or corporate network using that VPN software like Cisco AnyConnect. 

Fig 1.2- Full Tunnel SSL VPN

Split Tunnel SSL VPN: 
Split tunnel SSL VPN when you are running the same software as you are using for Full tunnel SSL VPN but you are categorized the traffic like corporate traffic will go to the corporate network and internet traffic uses your local internet to exit.

Fig 1.3- Split Tunnel SSL VPN

We will talk in more details about all these tunnels in details one by one in our next article.