Today’s working practises require a more flexible approach to data access.  The need to access data whenever and wherever an employee is working has and does put pressure on IT managers to deliver a simple, secure and yet cost effective solution to accessing their data.

There are many ways to tackle this particular issue including:

• Traditional VPN technology.  (Using standard protocols PPTP, IPSEC, SSH)
• Secure Web portal access.  (User applications and files delivered through a web interface)
• Direct Access.  (Remote users access their files as if they were in the office)

These technologies can be backed up by 2 factor authentication, ensuring all inbound connections are securely authenticated.

Foursys recommends you try Microsoft UAG Remote Access

Traditional VPN Technology
VPN technology has been around for many years and still makes up the backbone of deployed remote access solutions.

Secure Web Portal access
Whilst Traditional vpn technology still has its place, it still requires:

• Either client software to be installed on the computer or vpn configuration to be setup.
• Some knowledge of how to connect to the vpn.

These issues may sound trivial to many IT professionals, but they can add considerable burden on the helpdesk that receives a call every time an inexperienced IT users phones up trying to access their data remotely.

Wouldn’t it be easier to allow access to all the normal applications that the same inexperienced IT users works with in the office through a web browser, including all their files, with no requirements for those applications to be on their remote computer, but whilst still maintaining network security?

Secure Application delivery is here.

Direct Access
Roaming users that need to access their files from their laptop in the same method they do when they are in the office can now be achieved through the direct access route.

Direct access utilises IP6 technology for roaming users (internally its not required).  Direct access technology means a machine can detect whether its on or off lan and route traffic through the required remote access solution transparently to the end user.