I was reading News.com today and found this article (see Article snip below). The implications hit me like an SUV. This could be the answer to WiFi Hotspot security.
It was reported that Cisco "plans to announce that it will offer an upgrade" to make their Cisco VPN 3000 support "Clientless" VPN sessions. This clientless VPN means anyone with a web browser will be able to use an encrypted link between the computer and the Cisco VPN box. The product is called WebVPN and it looks like they will announce it November 10th. Traditional VPN sessions require client-side software to set up an encrypted session using protocols like IPSec or PPTP. The upshot to SSL VPN is that users will not need special software to surf safely over the Internet, **especially at WiFi hotspots!** VPN Client software is the current limitation to secure Hotspot surfing. With WebVPN (and SSL VPNs in general) the rollout for security is minimal. Details are scarce, but a powerpoint on the Cisco website states that Email, Web browsing, Telnet, and other applications will be supported over the secure link. This sounds like the hot ticket for hotspot aggregators. Place a Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator with WebVPN software in the data center. And have your Hotspot users authenticate with a web browser to encrypt their signal over the air and into the data center. I bet this is what T-Mobile is planning for their enhanced security upgrade in the near future. Cool! -Mike O. Cisco SSL VPN Intro link (November 10th Announcement - See into the future!): http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns340/ns394/ns171/ns347/networking_solutio ns_package.html Article link: http://news.com.com/2100-7355_3-5104498.html Article snip: Cisco to add SSL networking to products By Robert Lemos Staff Writer, CNET News.com Story last modified November 7, 2003, 2:43 PM PST Networking giant Cisco Systems will be the latest company to offer virtual private networking using the widespread browser encryption technology known as Secure Sockets Layer, or SSL. The company confirmed that it plans to announce that it will offer an upgrade to the Cisco VPN 3000 Concentrator to add SSL network functionality. The news appeared in a release posted briefly to the company's Web site but has been removed. The WebVPN feature will be offered as part of the basic configuration for the concentrator, network hardware that acts as a central connection point for virtual private networks. Traditional virtual private networks have used a technology known as Internet protocol security (IPSec) to secure telecommuter and remote-office connections to the main corporate network. That method requires that each telecommuter has specialized software installed on his or her PC. SSL-based VPNs can use the software already built into major Internet browsers and thus companies can forgo the administrative hassle of setting up every user with new software. "We really see this as extending the remote access capabilities of our products," Scott Pope, manager of VPN technologies for Cisco, told CNET News.com. "It makes a lot of sense to have both built on the same box." [...follow web link for more...] http://news.com.com/2100-7355-5104498.html
