A VPN is a Virtual Private Network. A VPN is an alternative to a truly private network, in which someone completely owns the infrastructure (i.e., wires) between locations and no one else can use it. Typically a VPN is used when some part of the network path crosses a public network such as the Internet or, in the case of wireless, "airspace." A VPN may also be used to provide additional security on private networks. The VPN builds an encrypted "tunnel" through a public/private network which provides the necessary confidentiality (this prevents snooping), sender authentication (this prevents identity spoofing), and data integrity for secure access to private resources.
A VPN client allows you to "tunnel" all of your traffic to UCSB over an encrypted, authenticated link that terminates on campus at our VPN server. The VPN server decrypts your traffic and forwards it to its original destination, but it changes the source address of your traffic from your ISP-assigned address to a UCSB-assigned address. This way, all of your traffic appears to be coming from on-campus and may not be limited by internal Internet firewall rules.
What You Need
A UCSBNetID with a valid affiliation
At least one device enrolled with UCSB MFA (Duo Security)
A network connection (for example: cable modem, DSL)
- A UCSB-customized VPN client for your machine configured with:
- UCSB Remote Access Trusted
- Server name: https://ps.vpn.ucsb.edu/ra-trusted
Visit the Departmental VPN web page for information on how to connect to a UCSB departmental network.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs)