February Feature of the Month: Integrated Support for 3G / LTE Cards, Part Two

This is Part Two of our February Feature of the Month series. Last week, we honored the all-new Access Point Name (APN) feature in NCP’s entry and enterprise IPsec VPN clients.

Enterprises today are facing significant challenges related to remote computing due to their increasingly fragmented geographies. For instance, companies are not only contending with how to enable automated roaming between their solutions on premises and remote hotspots, but they are also responsible for making sure this seamless roaming is secure for employees working off-site.

To meet these industry needs, NCP engineering has enhanced its client suite to support integrated 3G cards, which ensure secure network connections for mobile workers when used in conjunction with the NCP Secure Enterprise VPN Server. NCP has combined 3G / 4G and VPN connection setup into a single, graphical user interface, simplifying the installation and deployment processes for both IT personnel and individual users.

Additionally, the NCP Secure Enterprise Client allows devices to automatically transition between a variety of communication mediums, including Wi-Fi, xDSL, LAN, ISDN and WWAN, making it easy for users to connect to their corporate networks from any location. Since the solution dynamically redirects the VPN tunnel without disrupting mobile computing sessions, employees are guaranteed uninterrupted connections to their networks.

Beyond that, for enhanced protection, the solution automatically recognizes secure and insecure networks to connect to while users are roaming. With its Friendly Net Detection feature, the IPsec VPN client then activates the appropriate firewall and security policies without the end user needing to lift a finger.

Want to learn more about the NCP Secure Enterprise Client’s integrated support of 3G / LTE cards? Additional information can be found here. 

Executive Q&A On Data Security

Today, Rainer Enders, VPN expert and CTO of Americas at NCP engineering, addresses how IT and data management executives can properly protect their corporate data.

Q: What are the most effective steps IT and data management executives need to take in ensuring the best security for corporate information?

Rainer Enders: There is no substitute for best-of-breed security solutions. IT managers must realize that only betting on one vendor for all security needs will leave security holes in the architecture. A key starting point is the assessment of risk and exposure. For example, if you do not have employees working outside the office, you’ll have far different security implications than if you have a large mobile workforce. Obviously, the cost of the solution must match the assets at risk that will be insured and protected against damage or loss. A clear and concise security policy must be established that involves all the key stakeholders, and the policy must then be implemented and enforced at all levels. This is probably the most important and, sadly, the least followed advice.

Another trap many IT managers fall into is changing security infrastructure too quickly. Rather then taking a blended migration approach, a rip-out-and-replace approach is usually implemented, neglecting benefits and merits of existing incumbent security technologies. This has happened when SSL VPN was introduced to replace IPsec VPN. Customers followed early promises, only to see many companies now returning to the “old” IPsec VPN or adopting a hybrid approach, which would have served them better from the start. So any security architecture framework should follow the technology, not a vendor product roadmap.

If you have any questions on VPNs or anything else related to secure remote access, send them to editor@vpnhaus.com. 

Rainer Enders is CTO, Americas, at NCP engineering.

February Feature of the Month: Integrated Support for 3G/LTE Cards, Part One

With workforce mobility on the rise, remote employees are consistently in the market for easy-to-use VPN solutions that can safely connect their mobile devices to the corporate network. And given employees have a variety of mobile operators to choose from, corporations want to make it easy for users to switch in and out between these providers in order to maintain productivity on the go.

To meet these demands, NCP has rolled out an all-new Access Point Name (APN) feature in its entry and enterprise IPsec VPN clients. This automated configuration eliminates the need to manually update each device’s mobile access point when switching out SIM cards from a previous mobile operator. By analyzing the SIM card’s provider ID and using it to define the corresponding APN, identifying the appropriate dial-up parameter takes next to no time at all, allowing the user to get up and running on the network safely and easily.

Want to learn more about this feature and the NCP Secure Client’s integrated support of 3G/LTE cards? More information can be found here.

NCP engineering Supports Microsoft Windows Users’ Evolving Remote Access Needs

Organizations tasked with safely connecting their employees to the corporate network are under pressure to not only accommodate various devices, but also offer multi-platform support. In fact, analysts predict  that through 2017, 90% of enterprises will have two or more mobile operating systems to manage! Adding to this pressure is the recent onslaught of Windows 8-based systems in the enterprise, which means the demand for secure remote access solutions is following suit.

Heeding this call for adaptation, NCP engineering has upgraded its enterprise IPsec VPN client suite to offer compatibility with laptops and tablets running Windows 8, in particular, its Professional and Enterprise editions. The centrally managed remote access software also supports devices using Windows 7/Vista/XP 32-/64-bit.

NCP has also added several new security benefits to its enterprise IPsec VPN client, including prompting users via warning messages if they fail to log on to hotspots without established Wi-Fi connections. When this occurs, the software solution advises users on creating suitable connection profiles, and helps them determine if alternative network selections are necessary.

The NCP Secure Enterprise Client also includes the recently added Access Point Name (APN) management feature, which eliminates the need to manually update each device’s APN when switching out SIM cards from different mobile operators. For more information on the new product version and how NCP is meeting Windows users’ evolving remote access needs, check out the full press release here.

Q&A On SSL VPNs, Part Two: Joerg Hirschmann

This is part two in our Q&A series on SSL VPNs. Earlier this week, we shared insight from Rainer Enders, CTO, Americas at NCP engineering, on the inception of SSL VPN and its key differentiators.

Q: What are the core strengths of SSL VPN, and when might enterprises choose to go with this protocol over IPsec VPN?

Joerg Hirschmann: The pre-installed, SSL approach is ideal for situations in which one doesn’t require transparent connections for secure remote access. For instance, SSL VPN is an optimal solution when enterprises must grant limited access to external associates or partners needing connections only to specific applications (e.g. web-based) or administrative access to specific machines through RDP or SSH sessions. However, the ideal secure remote access solution takes a hybrid approach combining the strengths of both SSL and IPsec.

Q: What about choosing to go with software solutions versus hardware appliances?

Joerg Hirschmann: A software solution is the ideal fit for a virtualized central environment, whereas appliances are usually a better fit in branch offices or a smaller environment without virtualization in place.

If you have any questions on VPNs, the IPsec and SSL protocols or anything else related to secure remote access, send them to editor@vpnhaus.com. 

 Joerg Hirschmann is CTO at NCP engineering GmbH.