| First, let's
talk about how data from your home computer normally reaches
University computing resources. If you browse a University web
site or login to an administrative system, data is transmitted from
your computer, over your DSL or cable modem connection, to your
Internet Service Provider (ISP), through the "public Internet", to
the University's ISP, then to the University's networks, and finally
to the computer hosting the web site or administrative system. The
public Internet consists of any number of communication links
supplied by any number of companies and this data could be
intercepted and inspected at any point along the route. It is much
easier than most of us know to target a specific data stream,
intercept the transmissions, and reassemble the content. The
hacker doesn't even need to be located between your home computer
and the University's networks because the intercepted data can be
redirected to anywhere in the world! |
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Your data isn't secure and
can be read
by hackers or
even by accident on the
public Internet. |
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It's easier than
most people
think to steal
your data and
reassemble it! |
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Valuable information
can be stolen such
as accounts, passwords,
SSNs, grades, anything
inside of emails, and
more! |
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The solution: VPN
But there is a solution to this problem. It's called VPN
which stands for Virtual Private Network. The name is derived
from the concept that if you really had a totally private network
from your home to the University, for example, you wouldn't have any
problems with anyone being able to intercept your valuable data
because it was totally private without any shared connections or
possible interception points. Since that's not practical, the
industry developed a way to use the public Internet to create the
virtual equivalent of this highly-desired private network and called
it a Virtual Private Network. |
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This is accomplished by putting your data under lock and key by
encrypting it before it leaves your computer and decrypting it once
it safely arrives on the other end. The reverse is done for
the reply. Therefore private data stays private and sensitive
data is more secure.
To help insure the privacy of Missouri State University students,
staff, and faculty, many resources can only be accessed off campus
via the VPN. |
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Encrypted data cannot
easily be intercepted and decoded! |
Restrictions and Notices
Because it uses encryption technologies, there are restrictions as to
where VPN can be legally used. Some countries don't like people to be
able to hide information from their governments and, therefore, it is
illegal to use such programs in some countries. Also, the United
States of America places export restrictions on some encryption
technologies thus preventing VPN from being used in some countries as well.
Before you download the VPN client or before you take a computer system that
already contains our VPN client to a foreign country, you must verify that no
such restrictions exist for the country you plan to visit. Also, it is
important to fully read and understand the VPN client license agreement before
downloading and using the software.
If you remain in the United States and if you use the VPN client only to
connect back to Missouri State University resources, you won't have any problems
with the above issues.
Proceed with the VPN client download
Before you can download the VPN software, you must sign on to your MSAD
(Microsoft Active Directory) account. To do so, click the following
link and proceed with the VPN client software download
( )
for Windows, Linux, or Macintosh computers. If you require assistance,
please contact Computer Services
User Support help desk.
Additional Information
Users desiring more information about VPNs may wish to visit
Wikipedia or
other Internet resources.
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