Solutions

There are 2 main solutions for a VPN setup, they are both open source pieces of software which most VPN companies use as platforms in their VPN services. It may be hard to understand the technical jargon of each one, but in simple terms they can be compared to operating system on a computer they essentially do the same job but have different specifications, just like comparing Windows to Linux.

Other companies have developed their own software, but generally it is one of the following 2:

Open VPN

Open VPN uses VPN techniques and creates a secure connection either via point to point or site to site. They employee various security measures which include SSL/TLS, whilst also being capable of pushing through network address translators and firewalls. James Yonan was the person who wrote the software for Open VPN.

The software allows users to authorise one another by using a username/password, certificates and pre-shared secret key. It also uses OpenSSL encryption library and also SSLv3/TLSv1 protocol, amongst other control features.

One advantage of OpenVPN is that it is very easy to install and setup making it a  market leader as many other options can be difficult to configure.

OpenVPN is compatible with many platforms including Windows, Linux, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Mac OS X, and Solaris.

Cisco Systems VPN Client

Cisco Systems VPN Client is a popular choice amongst many businesses and chosen for highly secure connectivity, especially for mobile employees or teleworkers. Cisco is easy to setup and use and can be preconfigured and then sent out in mass so there is little hassle for the company to deal with when setting it up.

Some of the security features of Cisco include the use of profile files (.pcf), these store VPN passwords which are either hashed with type 7, or are stored as cleartext.

It can work on various operating systems including Linux, Windows, Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5 and Solaris UltraSPARC.