Avoiding VPN Bottlenecks: Exploring Network-Level Client Identity Validation Options

Yu Liu, Craig A. Shue

Abstract: Virtual private networks (VPNs) allow organizations to support their remote employees by creating tunnels that ensure confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of communicated packets. However, these same services are often provided by the application, in protocols such as TLS. As a result, the historical driving force for VPNs may be in decline. Instead, VPNs are often used to determine whether a communicating host is a legitimate member of the network to simplify filtering and access control. However, this comes with a cost: VPN implementations often introduce performance bottlenecks that affect the user experience.