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The following article aims to provide a brief introduction to the mobile VPN concept, how it works, and its potential applications in business and the public sector.
Mobile VPN
A Virtual Private Network or VPN is a mechanism that allows users to securely connect to local networks from remote locations over public networks using encrypted data packets and authentication at each endpoint.
The term mobile VPN, or mVPN, refers to systems in which users of portable devices, such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops, securely connect to fixed local networks from remote locations, over the Internet, connecting initially to wireless networks or networks of mobile phone operators. . The key challenges for mobile VPNs relate to the fact that the user and their device will, by definition, be mobile. They will need to access their VPN connection from different networks, often roaming between networks while on the go and occasionally experiencing moments of no connection between these networks (or when putting their device to sleep). The goal of a mobile VPN is to allow the device to authenticate itself when connecting from these variety of networks and to maintain the VPN session while the user and their device are on the move.
The problem this raises, however, is manifold. First, the IP address of the client device will vary depending on where it accesses the network from, making authentication difficult. The device may still be assigned a dynamic IP address (which will therefore change each time it connects), regardless of its location, but also the device’s IP address will change each time it connects from a mobile network or different wireless (Wi-Fi). access point). Also, when the user is roaming across networks, the device’s endpoint identity will change each time they switch from one to another. Secondly, times when the device is offline when it is in a location without an available network, is switching from one to another, or is idle can cause the VPN session to be suspended.
How does it work?
The classic model of a VPN involves creating a secure tunnel (in which information is encrypted) across the Internet, essentially from one IP address to another, typically with each endpoint’s IP addresses predefined. This mechanism creates two problems for mobile users. First, a mobile system cannot use IP verification if the connecting device’s IP address changes each time, which defeats one of the authentication methods and removes a level of security for the VPN. Second, this tunnel would break whenever an endpoint’s IP changed or the device went offline. Therefore, mobile VPNs overcome this hurdle with VPN software that assigns a constant static IP address to the actual device instead of relying on its network-assigned IP address. In addition, they can use a virtualized VPN session that stays open as the state of the device changes, and then an automatic login to re-establish the connection when the device reconnects.
Where can it be used?
Mobile VPNs can be beneficial to any profession or industry where the customer is on the go, working from multiple locations; particularly when the information being accessed and transmitted is of a confidential nature and therefore must be kept secure. In the public sector, for example, mobile VPNs can allow healthcare professionals to communicate with core networks when they are outside surgery or the hospital (i.e., in the field), to view and update patient records. the patients. Other public services whose job also requires them to be constantly on the move, such as the police, can use the technology to the same effect by viewing centralized databases.
While initially popular in the public sector, the technology is becoming vital for the private sector as well, as companies realize its value in allowing production to continue seamlessly for employees within companies where travel They are a necessary part of the job. Examples from the private sector may include transportation and delivery services, utility employees, and street vendors.
As businesses and utilities realize the cost and productivity efficiencies of working securely on the go, and with the continued proliferation of smartphones and tablets, the adoption of mobile VPN technology is set to accelerate. significantly and consequently become commonplace in many countries. aspects of our life.