ABSTRACT
The fear of security risks, however, has prevented mainstream businesses from taking advantage of the Internet’s potential. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are rapidly eliminating that obstacle. The potential benefits of VPNs are increasingly being recognized by a diverse array of financial services companies, though differentiating the myriad VPN products available today can be challenging. The most essential criteria to use when evaluating VPN solutions include: strong encryption, tiered access control, user-based authentication, comprehensive auditing, centralized systems management, guaranteed interoperability, fire wall independence, value-added services, and open APIs. As financial companies enable users to work remotely and share information globally, VPNs will provide cost-effective, ironclad network security. By adding VPN security to an extranet, companies can easily define which network resources are available to end users. The VPN protocols will continue to be refined and standardized, resulting in greater interoperability among products and improved communication between companies and their clients.
