Fw: Fw: Security with VPN

["Jerome Draper" <jdraper@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> This sounds right on to me, Jerry.  VPN/Tunneling without encryption
> just gets you access to private resources but does not scramble the
> data stream making man-in-the-middle/sniffing attacks trivial.  I
> would only take issue with saying that encrypting the VPN makes
> sniffing "impossible."  You never want to go to those extremes when
> describing encryption or any security measure for that matter, 'cause
> it's just never true.  I'd say it makes it nearly impossible or
> effectively impossible for all but the largest government and
> corporate entities or at the very least makes it very, very hard.
>
> - Jim
>
> > > I tested out MS Win98se VPN to a Netopia R3100I (iDSL) router with and
> >> without encryption.  The Netopia supports MPPE encryption which is
> >> compatible with the Win98se VPN client I am using for this test.  If
the
> >> router is configured for encryption and you have it turned off at the
> >client
> >> you don't get in which is consistent with the email below.  Vice versa
> >also
> >> fails to connect as would be expected.
> >>
> >> Encryption is required to be the same on both ends or you are out.  Yes
or
> >> no but not maybe.
> >>
> >> VPN without encryption simply establishes a VPN tunnel from you to the
> >> router over the public system.  The tunnel is password protected using
> >> MS-CHAP which is an encrypted password system.  The established tunnel
> >> allows you to get at resources on the other side of the router that, in
> >this
> >> case, are using private addresses (ie:  172, 192, or 10 series IP
> >addresses)
> >> like the AS400.
> >>
> >> My belief is that someone who really knew what to look for could
probably
> >> sniff out a tunnel and find the AS400 clear text screens encapsulated
in
> >the
> >> tunnel.  My belief is that with encryption turned on sniffing would be
> >> impossible.  If you are using the Internet I recommend that it be
turned
> >on.
> >>
> >
> > > Comments?
> >>
> >
> > > Jerry
>
>