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can using a vpn network stop someone from capturing my network data
i travel frequently for my work and am afraid when i send emails (pop account) that people monitoring the network i am connected to can capture my data in plain text.
what is the best way to have my emails transmit outside of their network? should i establish a VPN connection back to my office? if so, how and what hardware/software should i use?
what is the best way to have my emails transmit outside of their network? should i establish a VPN connection back to my office? if so, how and what hardware/software should i use?
Sorry I omitted the last part of the question
If you are running a Microsoft Server, you can use the inbuilt VPN Server (RRAS)
Other options are
- Linux based firewall solution with VPN capabiltiies such as smoothwall or pfsense
- Hardware based firewall/router such as Cisco or Juniper networks offerings
- 3rd party software solutions such as the Cisco VPN Software
If you give us some more info about your infrastructure, we will be able to advise better
If you are running a Microsoft Server, you can use the inbuilt VPN Server (RRAS)
Other options are
- Linux based firewall solution with VPN capabiltiies such as smoothwall or pfsense
- Hardware based firewall/router such as Cisco or Juniper networks offerings
- 3rd party software solutions such as the Cisco VPN Software
If you give us some more info about your infrastructure, we will be able to advise better
Alternatively, if the mail server allows SSL/TLS connections for SMTP/POP then use a mail client that supports this - even Outlook Express does. Mail sent and received is encrypted so is kept private from traffic monitoring.
One issue you may have is the ports used may be blocked but then you could have the same problem with a VPN client.
One issue you may have is the ports used may be blocked but then you could have the same problem with a VPN client.
ASKER
so if do connect to a VPN network, all of the traffic then flows through the VPN to the office and out to the internet from there?
It can be both with a VPN (lookup Split tunnel for more information).
You should be able to configure so that all internet and communication goes through the VPN and then out to the internet from your office.
or you can setup so that only communication to your office goes through the VPN, other internet traffic goes out your local connection.
You should be able to configure so that all internet and communication goes through the VPN and then out to the internet from your office.
or you can setup so that only communication to your office goes through the VPN, other internet traffic goes out your local connection.
ASKER
where would i go to configure that?
need to know which VPN you are using. Is it Microsoft PPTP? or something else?
ASKER
dont have one set up yet. what do you reccomend?
gmail is hosting my domain. can i use SSL with that?
gmail is hosting my domain. can i use SSL with that?
SSL is encryption (not the same as VPN).
If you just want to protect email and you use gmail, then SSL will accomplish that.
I think gmail is already SSL, you should check on that. I don't use gmail, but when I setup gmail before for use it is on non-standard ports (makes me think it is already SSL encrypted).
If you just want to protect email and you use gmail, then SSL will accomplish that.
I think gmail is already SSL, you should check on that. I don't use gmail, but when I setup gmail before for use it is on non-standard ports (makes me think it is already SSL encrypted).
Looks like Gmail is already encrypted. see this
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=13287
A VPN is also encryption, but it will encrypt more or all communication (not just mail or websites) depending on how you setup.
If you already have a windows server at your office then using Microsoft PPTP VPN is free.
this discussion seems to have the information for Windows 2008 PPTP VPN.
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/23610766/How-to-setup-PPTP-VPN-in-Server-2008.html
http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=13287
A VPN is also encryption, but it will encrypt more or all communication (not just mail or websites) depending on how you setup.
If you already have a windows server at your office then using Microsoft PPTP VPN is free.
this discussion seems to have the information for Windows 2008 PPTP VPN.
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/23610766/How-to-setup-PPTP-VPN-in-Server-2008.html
ASKER
what if i dont have a microsoft windows server at the office. is there a hosted vpn solution? example: logmein hamachi?
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ASKER
great strongvpn is great.
so even if i am connected to someone else's network, if i use strongvpn then no matter what they cannot see my data? if they capture my data it would be encrypted right?
so even if i am connected to someone else's network, if i use strongvpn then no matter what they cannot see my data? if they capture my data it would be encrypted right?
Correct, if your VPN is not in any split-tunnel config, then all data should go via the VPN and will be encrypted.
A split-tunnel VPN is where some communication goes via VPN and other communcation can go to normal lan/internet connection.
A split-tunnel VPN is where some communication goes via VPN and other communcation can go to normal lan/internet connection.
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network - it is an encrypted data stream as such it is very hard to read the data travelling across it