Which of these enables point-to-point online communication over an untrusted network?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a technology specifically designed to create a secure, encrypted connection, or "tunnel," between two points over an untrusted network, such as the internet. This allows data to be transmitted securely as if the devices were connected on a private, point-to-point link. The VPN encapsulates data packets and encrypts them, ensuring confidentiality and integrity while traversing the public infrastructure.

A. Router: A router's primary function is to forward data packets between different networks; it does not inherently create a secure, private communication channel.

B. Firewall: A firewall inspects and filters network traffic based on security rules to protect a network, but it does not establish a secure point-to-point tunnel.

C. VLAN: A Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) is used to logically segment a physical network within a trusted environment, not for securing communications over an untrusted one.

1. Kurose

J. F.

& Ross

K. W. (2021). Computer Networking: A Top-Down Approach (8th ed.). Pearson. In Chapter 8.9

"Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

" the text defines a VPN as a mechanism to connect hosts of a private network over the public Internet

where "the traffic within the VPN is encrypted before it enters the public Internet." (p. 761).

2. Gleeson

B.

Lin

A.

Heinanen

J.

Armitage

G.

& Malis

A. (2000). A Framework for IP Based Virtual Private Networks. RFC 2764. Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Section 1 states

"A VPN is a communications environment in which access is controlled to permit peer connections only within a defined community of interest... implemented by using security services... on traffic that is carried over a public network such as the Internet." (p. 3).

3. Saltzer

J. H. (2011). Principles of Computer System Design: An Introduction. MIT OpenCourseWare. In Part II

Chapter 9

"Networks

" the concept of tunneling is introduced as a method to "carry a packet of one protocol as the payload of another protocol

" which is the fundamental mechanism used by VPNs to create secure channels over public networks. (Section 9.5.3

p. 418).