U Akron Implements New VPN Client for Secure Remote Access from 64-Bit Computers
The University of Akron (UA) recently acquired 1,000 IPSec VPN clients to provide its faculty, staff, and students with secure remote access to the university's network from 64-bit computers.
Remote access to UA's network is imperative for its personnel and students, who need to be able to access internal documents and data, work on research and assignments, and access other campus resources from home or in the field. However, the university's previous VPN clients were not compatible with 64-bit operating systems, such as Windows 7. The university selected NCP Secure Entry Client as its new VPN client because it provides the flexibility and compatibility they need while also supporting the university's security policies.
"With the advent of Windows 7, university members could not access the network because of the compatibility issues that 64-bit devices presented. They needed a solution and needed it quickly," said James Miller, lead network engineer, University of Akron. "The NCP Secure Entry Client was an immediate solution to the problem. The transition was seamless. Staff, faculty, and students purchased their new PCs, installed the VPN clients and continued working off-campus at the same level of efficiency as when on campus, if not more."
NCP Secure Entry Client is a universal IPSec VPN client that works on both 32- and 64- bit versions of Mac OS X, Windows, Symbian, and Linux operating systems, so faculty, staff, and students can use it to access the university's network from virtually any computer. The VPN client offers plug-and-play functionality to allow end users to install and set it up on their computers, even if they aren't technically savvy.
NCP Secure Entry Client also features a dynamic personal firewall, so university IT administrators can set policies for ports, IP addresses and segments, and applications. Data encryption, Friendly Net Detection, and one-time password token and certificate support through a public key infrastructure (PKI) further enhance the university's network security.
The University of Akron is a public research university located in northeastern Ohio. It serves more than 29,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
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Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected].