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> Chapter 14 - IPsec VPN > IPsec VPN concepts

IPsec VPN concepts

Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology enables remote users to connect to private computer networks to gain access to their resources in a secure way. For example, an employee traveling or working from home can use a VPN to securely access the office network through the Internet.

Instead of remotely logging on to a private network using an unencrypted and unsecure Internet connection, the use of a VPN ensures that unauthorized parties cannot access the office network and cannot intercept any of the information that is exchanged between the employee and the office. It is also common to use a VPN to connect the private networks of two or more offices.

Fortinet offers VPN capabilities in the FortiGate Unified Threat Management (UTM) appliance and in the FortiClient Endpoint Security suite of applications. A FortiGate unit can be installed on a private network, and FortiClient software can be installed on the user’s computer. It is also possible to use a FortiGate unit to connect to the private network instead of using FortiClient software.

This chapter discusses VPN terms and concepts including: