SSL Remote Access VPNs
An introduction to designing and configuring SSL virtual private networks
Jazib Frahim, CCIE® No. 5459
Qiang Huang, CCIE No. 4937
Cisco® SSL VPN solutions (formerly known as Cisco WebVPN solutions) give you a flexible and secure way to extend networking resources to virtually any remote user with access to the Internet and a web browser. Remote access based on SSL VPN delivers secure access to network resources by establishing an encrypted tunnel across the Internet using a broadband (cable or DSL) or ISP dialup connection.
SSL Remote Access VPNs provides you with a basic working knowledge of SSL virtual private networks on Cisco SSL VPN-capable devices. Design guidance is provided to assist you in implementing SSL VPN in existing network infrastructures. This includes examining existing hardware and software to determine whether they are SSL VPN capable, providing design recommendations, and guiding you on setting up the Cisco SSL VPN devices. Common deployment scenarios are covered to assist you in deploying an SSL VPN in your network.
SSL Remote Access VPNs gives you everything you need to know to understand, design, install, configure, and troubleshoot all the components that make up an effective, secure SSL VPN solution.
Jazib Frahim, CCIE® No. 5459, is currently working as a technical leader in the Worldwide Security Services Practice of the Cisco Advanced Services for Network Security. He is responsible for guiding customers in the design and implementation of their networks, with a focus on network security. He holds two CCIEs, one in routing and switching and the other in security.
Qiang Huang, CCIE No. 4937, is a product manager in the Cisco Campus Switch System Technology Group, focusing on driving the security and intelligent services roadmap for market-leading modular Ethernet switching platforms. During his time at Cisco, Qiang has played an important role in a number of technology groups, including the Cisco TAC security and VPN team, where he was responsible for trouble-shooting complicated customer deployments in security and VPN solutions. Qiang has extensive knowledge of security and VPN technologies and experience in real-life customer deployments. Qiang holds CCIE certifications in routing and switching, security, and
ISP Dial.
- Understand remote access VPN technologies, such as Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP), Internet Protocol Security (IPsec), Layer 2 Forwarding (L2F), Layer 2 Tunneling (L2TP) over IPsec, and SSL VPN
- Learn about the building blocks of SSL VPN, including cryptographic algorithms and SSL and Transport Layer Security (TLS)
- Evaluate common design best practices for planning and designing an SSL VPN solution
- Gain insight into SSL VPN functionality on Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) and Cisco IOS® routers
- Install and configure SSL VPNs on Cisco ASA and Cisco IOS routers
- Manage your SSL VPN deployment using Cisco Security Manager
This security book is part of the Cisco Press® Networking Technology Series. Security titles from Cisco Press help networking professionals secure critical data and resources, prevent and mitigate network attacks, and build end-to-end self-defending networks.
Category: Networking: Security
Covers: SSL VPNs
Customer Reviews & Comments
This book's goal is to serve as a complete guide to the SSL VPN technology and its implementation on Cisco SSL VPN-capable devices. It starts with the introduction to remote access VPN and SSL VPN technology before exploring the design consideration and Cisco SSL VPN family of products. The last part explains the SSL VPN implementation and configuration for Cisco ASA and Cisco IOS routers before it ends with the discussion on SSL VPN management.
This book is not for network beginners. Prior knowledge of VPN technology and familiarity with Cisco command line interface is needed as the book explains the remote access VPN technology concepts only briefly.
The book does come with a lot of screen shots and illustrations particularly on SSL VPN configuration chapters. It is trying to show readers how to configure SSL VPN thru ASDM but it also needs to provide CLI configuration so readers have alternative if they do not want to wade thru pages of pages of screenshots to configure SSL VPN.
The book also needs to provide more reference as the provided configurations will only help readers to get the SSL VPN up and running but are missing many optional SSL VPN configurations.
Although the book claims to be a complete guide, it does not even dedicate a chapter for SSL VPN troubleshooting guide. The troubleshooting section provided at the end of configuration chapters is quite meaningless.
The last chapter on SSL VPN management looks more like a brochure for Cisco Security Manager (CSM) and Cisco Access Control Server (ACS) product. It only covers a very general concept of SSL VPN policy configuration and provisioning using CSM and ACS with a reference at the back of the chapter to go to Cisco web site to look up on how to configure CSM and ACS.
All of this makes me confused on what target audience the book tries to cover as it is too complex for network beginners but not detail enough for people who already have extensive VPN knowledge. I find it interesting that the cover of the book indicates that it will serve as an introduction for SSL VPN but inside it claims to be a complete guide for SSL VPN technology.
In spite of these, I rate this book 4 out of 5 and still recommend the book. It has a lot of helpful information that can help readers to get familiar with SSL VPN concept and configuration quickly. Beginners who have no VPN knowledge should read Richard Deal's The Complete Cisco VPN Configuration Guide book first before moving on to read this. VPN network experts can read this to get the basic working knowledge of SSL VPN.
