So What Does SSL VPN Actually Give Me?
The following matrix illustrates how various remote-access technologies SSL VPN meet the value criteria discussed earlier in this chapter.
In short, it is clear from the above matrix that SSL VPN can deliver remote access to more people, in more locations, using more diverse devices than older technologies and at a lower cost. It enables organizations to deploy remote access to users who never before had remote access, and to replace older remote-access technologies with a less expensive and more efficient mechanism of delivering remote access.
Note
SSL VPN access may be limited—or may not work altogether—from some older web browsers. The number of obsolete browsers that do not support SSL remote access that are still in use, however, is not terribly great and continues to diminish. With time, this issue should essentially disappear.
Additionally, because SSL VPN allows access from anywhere, it can be incorporated as an integral strategy for use in business continuity plans. SSL VPNs can be used to allow users to continue performing their jobs in various situations including:
- Users are cut off from their normal work facilities, but the facilities and communications lines remain live. This is common in cases of severely inclement weather, and occurs with relative frequency in metropolitan areas when transportation is limited due to transit strikes, protest demonstrations or rallies, emergency construction, or gatherings with high-profile attendees.
- If the primary work facility is incapacitated but the organization has replicated systems (or otherwise recovered) to a remote site, SSL VPN allows users to work off the remote systems without having to travel to a distant location. This:
- Saves the organization money: It needs to pay for fewer workspaces in the backup facility
- Allows more users to remain productive: Seats in a backup facility are normally made available only to the employees performing the most critical and time-sensitive business functions
- Improves morale: Employees are often unwilling (or at least extremely upset by the need) to leave their families immediately after a disaster or emergency—which is often when continuity plans are activated.