VPN

A virtual private network, also known as a VPN, is a network security service that changes your public IP address and hides your virtual location so that you can keep your data private when you’re using a public network like the internet.
VPNs also encrypt your data as it travels across the internet to preserve confidentiality. A VPN service performs encapsulation on your data in transit. Encapsulation is a process performed by a VPN service that protects your data by wrapping sensitive data in other data packets.
Security zones are a segment of a network that protects the internal network from the internet. They are a part of a security technique called network segmentation that divides the network into segments. Each network segment has its own access permissions and security rules. Security zones control who can access different segments of a network. Security zones act as a barrier to internal networks, maintain privacy within corporate groups, and prevent issues from spreading to the whole network.
An organization’s network is classified into two types of security zones. First, there’s the uncontrolled zone, which is any network outside of the organization’s control, like the internet. Then, there’s the controlled zone, which is a subnet that protects the internal network from the uncontrolled zone. There are several types of networks within the controlled zone. On the outer layer is the demilitarized zone, or DMZ, which contains public-facing services that can access the internet. This includes web servers, proxy servers that host websites for the public, and DNS servers that provide IP addresses for internet users. It also includes email and file servers that handle external communications. The DMZ acts as a network perimeter to the internal network. The internal network contains private servers and data that the organization needs to protect. Inside the internal network is another zone called the restricted zone. The restricted zone protects highly confidential information that is only accessible to employees with certain privileges.

Finally, although in many scenarios, one would establish a VPN connection to route all the traffic over the VPN tunnel, some VPN connections don’t do this. The VPN server may be configured to give you access to a private network but not to route your traffic. Furthermore, some VPN servers leak your actual IP address, although they are expected to route all your traffic over the VPN. Depending on why you are using a VPN connection, you might need to run a few more tests, such as a DNS leak test.
VPN protocols: Wireguard and IPSec

Remote access and site-to-site VPNs#

Individual users use remote access VPNs to establish a connection between a personal device and a VPN server. Remote access VPNs encrypt data sent or received through a personal device. The connection between the user and the remote access VPN is established through the internet.

Enterprises use site-to-site VPNs largely to extend their network to other networks and locations. This is particularly useful for organizations that have many offices across the globe. IPSec is commonly used in site-to-site VPNs to create an encrypted tunnel between the primary network and the remote network. One disadvantage of site-to-site VPNs is how complex they can be to configure and manage compared to remote VPNs.

WireGuard VPN vs. IPSec VPN#

WireGuard and IPSec are two different VPN protocols used to encrypt traffic over a secure network tunnel. The majority of VPN providers offer a variety of options for VPN protocols, such as WireGuard or IPSec. Ultimately, choosing between IPSec and WireGuard depends on many factors, including connection speeds, compatibility with existing network infrastructure, and business or individual needs.

WireGuard VPN#

WireGuard is a high-speed VPN protocol, with advanced encryption, to protect users when they are accessing the internet. It’s designed to be simple to set up and maintain. WireGuard can be used for both site-to-site connection and client-server connections. WireGuard is relatively newer than IPSec, and is used by many people due to the fact that its download speed is enhanced by using fewer lines of code. WireGuard is also open source, which makes it easier for users to deploy and debug. This protocol is useful for processes that require faster download speeds, such as streaming video content or downloading large files.

IPSec VPN#

IPSec is another VPN protocol that may be used to set up VPNs. Most VPN providers use IPSec to encrypt and authenticate data packets in order to establish secure, encrypted connections. Since IPSec is one of the earlier VPN protocols, many operating systems support IPSec from VPN providers.

Although IPSec and WireGuard are both VPN protocols, IPSec is older and more complex than WireGuard. Some clients may prefer IPSec due to its longer history of use, extensive security testing, and widespread adoption. However, others may prefer WireGuard because of its potential for better performance and simpler configuration.