VPN on a wireless client.

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Hi folks.

I have a hypothetical situation. I have been working from home today. I am on a wireless laptop that is connected to our corporate LAN over a VPN. Obviously, my Wi-Fi network has WPA, MAC address filtering etc. but I'm sure they would still get upset at work if they found out I was using wireless (due to "the inherent insecurity" as they put it). So I was formulating an argument in my defence in preperation for the day they find out and I started wondering, is any kind of wireless security even relevent when the wireless client is connected to a VPN? Forget, for a moment, that my own network would be vulnerable, surely as the VPN runs over a public network (the Internet) anyway, the security in place with the VPN must also keep out wireless intruders. Comments please.

 

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Depends on where the end-point of the VPN is.

If it is on the laptop, and if the laptop is barred from any other connection than through the VPN then you are safe.

If the end-point is on the router (like this Draytek I'm using) then you aren't so safe - but it depends then on the rest of the local network.

Harry.

 

Baba O'Riley,

What kind of VPN, software or hardware?

 

We use Cisco VPN client software on the laptop. I assume the endpoint must be the laptop as the router cannot even be pinged from the laptop when the VPN is connected.

 

Hi

For us it is a P45 offence!

Looking at the theory it should be no less secure but I want to keep my job.

 

Wow, that's a bit steep. I think they might take it more seriously if it was a business user, but as I work in the IT department I expect they'd turn a blind eye. In theory, we're not supposed to be accessing the VPN at all without a company purchased firewall/router, but the other guys are on call a week at a time and in my team we do one weekend in ten so our manager didn't want to fork out for 10 routers that would hardly be used. He negotiated with our security team that we could use our own hardware if it was adequate or dial-up if not.

 

Since I'm on the otherside of the pond, what is a P45 Offence? It might be worth asking someone at your work place, just tell them you connect a CAT5 cable from your laptop to your router but was wondering if you could using wireless with the secure settings.

I know at my workplace the Director of Networking is very security minded and being that he is CISSP as well as Cisco CCIE Security its understandable but he has implemented a wireless network at work which will get you access to the Internet but to connect into the Internal network via wireless you have to use the Juniper VPN software to connect.

GW

 

A P45 is the official form that shows the amount of pay and tax this year to date that you get given when you leave employment.

Hence "to be given a P45" implies that you have lost your job!

Harry.

 

Gotcha, over here in the States they call it giving you a pink slip, I guess in the past they used to give you a pink slip of paper saying that you are fired or otherwise laid off.

GW