virtual private network (VPN) - Glossary

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en-us" xml:lang="en-us"> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/virtual_private_network","20230102230546","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1672700746"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <meta charset="utf-8"/> <title>virtual private network (VPN) - Glossary | CSRC</title> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/> <meta http-equiv="content-style-type" content="text/css"/> <meta http-equiv="content-script-type" content="text/javascript"/> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"/> <meta name="msapplication-config" content="/CSRC/Media/images/favicons/browserconfig.xml"/> <meta name="theme-color" content="#000000"/> <meta name="google-site-verification" content="xbrnrVYDgLD-Bd64xHLCt4XsPXzUhQ-4lGMj4TdUUTA"/> <meta description="Glossary"/> <meta name="dcterms.title" content="virtual private network (VPN) - Glossary | CSRC"/> <meta name="dcterms.description" content="CSRC Home Page"/> <meta name="dcterms.creator" content="CSRC Content Editor"/> <meta name="dcterms.language" scheme="DCTERMS.RFC1766" content="EN-US"/> <style> button[aria-expanded="false"] > span.collapse-show { display: inline; } button[aria-expanded="false"] > span.collapse-hide { display: none; } button[aria-expanded="true"] > span.collapse-show { display: none; } button[aria-expanded="true"] > span.collapse-hide { display: inline; } </style> <link rel="apple-touch-icon" sizes="180x180" href="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/icons/apple-touch-icon.png"/> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/icons/favicon-32x32.png" sizes="32x32"/> <link rel="icon" type="image/png" href="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/icons/favicon-16x16.png" sizes="16x16"/> <link rel="manifest" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/icons/manifest.json"/> <link rel="mask-icon" href="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/icons/safari-pinned-tab.svg" color="#000000"/> <link href="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/Media/images/favicons/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" rel="shortcut icon"/> <link href="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/Media/images/favicons/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" rel="icon"/>  <link href="/web/20230102230546cs_/https://csrc.nist.gov/dist/app.css" rel="stylesheet"/>  <style> .grecaptcha-badge { visibility: hidden; } </style> <script async type="text/javascript" id="_fed_an_ua_tag" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546js_/https://dap.digitalgov.gov/Universal-Federated-Analytics-Min.js?agency=nist&subagency=csrc&pua=UA-66610693-15&yt=true&exts=xsd,xml,wav,mpg,mpeg,avi,rtf,webm,ogg,ogv,oga,map,otf,eot,svg,ttf,woff"></script> <style id="antiClickjack"> body > * { display: none !important; } #antiClickjack { display: block !important; } </style> <noscript> <style id="antiClickjackNoScript"> body > * { display: block !important; } #antiClickjack { display: none !important; } </style> </noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="antiClickjackScript"> if (self === top) { // no clickjacking var antiClickjack = document.getElementById("antiClickjack"); antiClickjack.parentNode.removeChild(antiClickjack); } else { setTimeout(tryForward(), 5000); } function tryForward() { top.location = self.location; } </script> </head> <body> <div id="antiClickjack" style="display: none;"> <strong style="font-size: 1.6rem;">You are viewing this page in an unauthorized frame window.</strong> <p>This is a potential security issue, you are being redirected to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/">https://csrc.nist.gov</a>.</p> </div> <section class="usa-banner" aria-label="Official government website"> <div class="usa-accordion container"> <header class="usa-banner__header"> <noscript> <p style="font-size: 0.85rem; font-weight: bold;">You have JavaScript disabled. This site requires JavaScript to be enabled for complete site functionality.</p> </noscript> <img class="usa-banner__header-flag" src="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/usbanner/us_flag_small.png" alt="U.S. flag">   <span class="usa-banner__header-text">An official website of the United States government</span> <button id="gov-banner-button" class="usa-accordion__button usa-banner__button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#gov-banner" aria-expanded="true" aria-controls="gov-banner"> <span class="usa-banner__button-text">Here's how you know</span> </button> </header> <div class="usa-banner__content usa-accordion__content collapse in" role="tabpanel" id="gov-banner" aria-expanded="true"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-5 col-sm-12"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-2 col-xs-3"> <img class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img" src="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/usbanner/icon-dot-gov.svg" alt="Dot gov"> </div> <div class="col-sm-10 col-xs-9"> <p> <strong>Official websites use .gov</strong> <br> A <strong>.gov</strong> website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. </p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-md-5 col-sm-12"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-2 col-xs-3"> <img class="usa-banner__icon usa-media-block__img" src="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/usbanner/icon-https.svg" alt="Https"> </div> <div class="col-sm-10 col-xs-9"> <p> <strong>Secure .gov websites use HTTPS</strong> <br> A <strong>lock</strong> (<img class="usa-banner__lock" src="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/images/usbanner/lock.svg" alt="Dot gov">) or <strong>https://</strong> means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <nav id="navbar" class="navbar"> <div id="nist-menu-container" class="container"> <div class="row">  <div class="col-xs-6 col-md-4 navbar-header"> <a class="navbar-brand" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/" target="_blank" id="navbar-brand-image"> <img src="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/media/images/svg/nist-logo.svg" alt="National Institute of Standards and Technology" width="110" height="30"> </a> </div> <div class="col-xs-6 col-md-8 navbar-nist-logo"> <div class="form-inline hidden-sm hidden-xs"> <form name="site-search" id="site-search-form" action="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/search" method="GET"> <label for="search-csrc-query" class="element-invisible">Search</label> <input autocomplete="off" class="form-control" id="search-csrc-query" name="keywords" type="text" size="15" maxlength="128" placeholder="Search CSRC"/> <input type="hidden" name="ipp" value="25"/> <input type="hidden" name="sortBy" value="relevance"/> <input type="hidden" name="showOnly" value="publications,projects,news,events,presentations,glossary,topics"/> <input type="hidden" name="topicsMatch" value="ANY"/> <input type="hidden" name="status" value="Final,Draft"/> <input type="hidden" name="series" value="FIPS,SP,NISTIR,ITL Bulletin,White Paper,Building Block,Use Case,Journal Article,Conference Paper,Book"/> <button type="submit" id="search-csrc-submit-btn" class="form-submit"> <span class="element-invisible">Search</span> <i class="fa fa-search"></i> </button> </form> </div> <span id="nvd-menu-button" class="pull-right"> <a href="#" id="nvd-menu-button-link"> <span class="fa fa-bars"></span> <span id="nvd-menu-full-text">CSRC MENU</span> </a> </span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="form-inline hidden-md hidden-lg"> <form name="site-search-mobile" id="site-search-form-mobile" action="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/search" method="GET"> <label for="search-csrc-query-mobile" class="element-invisible">Search</label> <input autocomplete="off" class="form-control" id="search-csrc-query-mobile" name="keywords" type="text" size="15" maxlength="128" placeholder="Search CSRC"/> <button type="submit" id="search-csrc-submit-btn-mobile" class="form-submit"> <span class="element-invisible">Search</span> <i class="fa fa-search"></i> </button> </form> </div> <div class="main-menu-row container">  <div id="main-menu-drop" class="col-lg-12" style="display: none;"> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/projects">Projects</a></li> <li> <a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications"> Publications <span class="expander fa fa-plus" id="main-menu-pubs-expander" data-expander-name="publications" data-expanded="false"> <span class="element-invisible">Expand or Collapse</span> </span> </a> <div style="display: none;" class="sub-menu" data-expander-trigger="publications" id="main-menu-pubs-expanded"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-lg-4"> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/drafts-open-for-comment">Drafts for Public Comment</a></p> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/draft-pubs">All Public Drafts</a></p> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/final-pubs">Final Pubs</a></p> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips">FIPS</a></p> </div> <div class="col-lg-4"> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/sp">Special Publications (SP<small>s</small>)</a></p> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistir">NISTIR<small>s</small></a></p> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/itl-bulletin">ITL Bulletins</a></p> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/white-paper">White Papers</a></p> </div> <div class="col-lg-4"> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/journal-article">Journal Articles</a></p> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/conference-paper">Conference Papers</a></p> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/book">Books</a></p> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/topics"> Topics <span class="expander fa fa-plus" id="main-menu-topics-expander" data-expander-name="topics" data-expanded="false"> <span class="element-invisible">Expand or Collapse</span> </span> </a> <div style="display: none;" class="sub-menu" data-expander-trigger="topics" id="main-menu-topics-expanded"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-lg-4"> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Topics/Security-and-Privacy">Security & Privacy</a></p> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Topics/Applications">Applications</a></p> </div> <div class="col-lg-4"> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Topics/Technologies">Technologies</a></p> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Topics/Sectors">Sectors</a></p> </div> <div class="col-lg-4"> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Topics/Laws-and-Regulations">Laws & Regulations</a></p> <p><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Topics/Activities-and-Products">Activities & Products</a></p> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/news">News & Updates</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/events">Events</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary">Glossary</a></li> <li> <a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/about"> About CSRC <span class="expander fa fa-plus" id="main-menu-about-expander" data-expander-name="about" data-expanded="false"> <span class="element-invisible">Expand or Collapse</span> </span> </a> <div style="display: none;" class="sub-menu" data-expander-trigger="about" id="main-menu-about-expanded"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-lg-6"> <p> <strong><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Computer-Security-Division">Computer Security Division</a></strong><br/> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Computer-Security-Division/Cryptographic-Technology">Cryptographic Technology</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Computer-Security-Division/Secure-Systems-and-Applications">Secure Systems and Applications</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Computer-Security-Division/Security-Components-and-Mechanisms">Security Components and Mechanisms</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Computer-Security-Division/Security-Engineering-and-Risk-Management">Security Engineering and Risk Management</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Computer-Security-Division/Security-Testing-Validation-and-Measurement">Security Testing, Validation, and Measurement</a></li> </ul> </p> </div> <div class="col-lg-6"> <p> <strong><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Applied-Cybersecurity-Division">Applied Cybersecurity Division</a></strong><br/> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Applied-Cybersecurity-Division/Cybersecurity-and-Privacy-Applications">Cybersecurity and Privacy Applications</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Applied-Cybersecurity-Division/National-Cybersecurity-Center-of-Excellence">National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/nice/">National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE)</a></li> </ul> </p> <p> <a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/contact"> Contact Us </a> </p> </div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <section id="itl-header" class="has-menu"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-12 col-md-8"> <div class="hidden-xs hidden-sm" id="itl-header-lg"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/itl" target="_blank" id="itl-header-link">Information Technology Laboratory</a> </div> <div class="hidden-xs hidden-sm" id="csrc-header-lg"> <a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/" id="csrc-header-link-lg">Computer Security Resource Center</a> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-12 col-md-4"> <div class="hidden-xs hidden-sm hidden-md"> <a id="logo-csrc-lg" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/"><img id="img-logo-csrc-lg" src="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/Media/images/nist-logo-csrc-white.svg" alt="CSRC Logo" class="csrc-header-logo"></a> </div> <div class="hidden-lg"> <a id="logo-csrc-sm" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/"><img id="img-logo-csrc-sm" src="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/Media/images/nist-logo-csrc-white.svg" alt="CSRC Logo" class="csrc-header-logo"></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <div id="body-section" class="container"> <div class="home-content"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-lg-3 col-md-4 hidden-sm hidden-xs hidden-xxs"> <ul class="side-nav" id="left-side-navigation"> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/projects">Projects</a></li> <li> <a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications"> Publications <span class="expander fa fa-plus" id="side-menu-pubs-expander" data-expander-name="publicationsSide" data-expanded="false" id="side-menu-pubs-expander"> <span class="element-invisible">Expand or Collapse</span> </span> </a> <div style="display: none;" class="sub-menu" data-expander-trigger="publicationsSide" id="side-menu-pubs-expanded"> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/drafts-open-for-comment">Drafts for Public Comment</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/draft-pubs">All Public Drafts</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/sp">NIST Special Publications (SPs)</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/fips">FIPS</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/nistir">NIST Internal/Interagency Reports (NISTIRs)</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/itl-bulletin">ITL Bulletins</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/white-paper">White Papers</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/journal-article">Journal Articles</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/conference-paper">Conference Papers</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/book">Books</a></li> </ul> </div> </li> <li> <a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/topics"> Topics <span class="expander fa fa-plus" id="side-menu-topics-expander" data-expander-name="topicsSide" data-expanded="false"> <span class="element-invisible">Expand or Collapse</span> </span> </a> <div style="display: none;" class="sub-menu" data-expander-trigger="topicsSide" id="side-menu-topics-expanded"> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Topics/Security-and-Privacy">Security & Privacy</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Topics/Applications">Applications</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Topics/Technologies">Technologies</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Topics/Sectors">Sectors</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Topics/Laws-and-Regulations">Laws & Regulations</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Topics/Activities-and-Products">Activities & Products</a></li> </ul> </div> </li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/news">News & Updates</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/events">Events</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary">Glossary</a></li> <li> <a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/about"> About CSRC <span class="expander fa fa-plus" id="side-menu-about-expander" data-expander-name="aboutSide" data-expanded="false"> <span class="element-invisible">Expand or Collapse</span> </span> </a> <div style="display: none;" class="sub-menu" data-expander-trigger="aboutSide" id="side-menu-about-expanded"> <strong><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Computer-Security-Division">Computer Security Division</a></strong><br/> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Computer-Security-Division/Cryptographic-Technology">Cryptographic Technology</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Computer-Security-Division/Secure-Systems-and-Applications">Secure Systems and Applications</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Computer-Security-Division/Security-Components-and-Mechanisms">Security Components and Mechanisms</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Computer-Security-Division/Security-Engineering-and-Risk-Management">Security Engineering and Risk Management</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Computer-Security-Division/Security-Testing-Validation-and-Measurement">Security Testing, Validation, and Measurement</a></li> </ul> <strong><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Applied-Cybersecurity-Division">Applied Cybersecurity Division</a></strong><br/> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Applied-Cybersecurity-Division/Cybersecurity-and-Privacy-Applications">Cybersecurity and Privacy Applications</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/Groups/Applied-Cybersecurity-Division/National-Cybersecurity-Center-of-Excellence">National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE)</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/nice/">National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE)</a></li> </ul> <strong><a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/contact-us">Contact Us</a></strong> </div> </li> </ul> <form action="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary" class="bs-callout bs-callout-success csrc-search-form" data-csrc-form="true" data-default-query="sortBy-lg=term+asc" data-form-ignore-default="sortBy" data-form-name="glossarySearch" method="get"> <div class="form-group"> <label for="glossary-search-keywords">Search</label> <input name="keywords-lg" class="form-control" data-val="true" data-val-length="The field Search must be a string with a maximum length of 255." data-val-length-max="255" id="glossary-search-keywords" name="Form.Keywords" type="text" value=""/> </div> <div class="form-group"> <label for="glossary-search-sort-by">Sort By</label> <div class="form-inline"> <select name="sortBy-lg" class="form-control form-control-full" id="glossary-search-sort-by" name="Form.SortBy"><option selected="selected" value="relevance">Relevance (best match)</option> <option value="term asc">Term (A-Z)</option> <option value="term desc">Term (Z-A)</option> </select> </div> </div> <div class="form-group form-inline"> <label for="glossary-search-ipp" class="form-control-half">Items Per Page</label> <select name="ipp-lg" class="form-control" id="glossary-search-ipp" name="Form.ItemsPerPage"><option selected="selected" value="100">100</option> <option value="200">200</option> <option value="500">500</option> <option value="all">All</option> </select> </div> <div style="display: none;" data-form-error-pane="true" class="text-danger"> <strong class="text-danger">Please fix the following:</strong> <ul data-form-error-list="true"> </ul> <div class="validation-summary-valid" data-valmsg-summary="true"><ul><li style="display:none"></li> </ul></div> </div> <div class="form-group"> <button type="submit" id="glossary-search-submit" name="submit-btn" data-form-button="submit" class="btn">Search</button> <button type="reset" id="glossary-search-reset" name="reset-btn" data-form-button="reset" class="btn">Reset</button> </div> </form> </div> <div class="col-lg-9 col-md-8 col-sm-12 col-xs-12 col-xxs-12"> <ol class="breadcrumb"> <a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary" class="breadcrumb-link">Glossary</a> </ol> <div id="AlphaIndexDiv" style="margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"> <a id="alpha-a" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=A">A</a>  |  <a id="alpha-b" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=B">B</a>  |  <a id="alpha-c" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=C">C</a>  |  <a id="alpha-d" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=D">D</a>  |  <a id="alpha-e" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=E">E</a>  |  <a id="alpha-f" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=F">F</a>  |  <a id="alpha-g" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=G">G</a>  |  <a id="alpha-h" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=H">H</a>  |  <a id="alpha-i" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=I">I</a>  |  <a id="alpha-j" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=J">J</a>  |  <a id="alpha-k" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=K">K</a>  |  <a id="alpha-l" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=L">L</a>  |  <a id="alpha-m" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=M">M</a>  |  <a id="alpha-n" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=N">N</a>  |  <a id="alpha-o" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=O">O</a>  |  <a id="alpha-p" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=P">P</a>  |  <a id="alpha-q" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=Q">Q</a>  |  <a id="alpha-r" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=R">R</a>  |  <a id="alpha-s" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=S">S</a>  |  <a id="alpha-t" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=T">T</a>  |  <a id="alpha-u" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=U">U</a>  |  <a id="alpha-v" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=V">V</a>  |  <a id="alpha-w" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=W">W</a>  |  <a id="alpha-x" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=X">X</a>  |  <a id="alpha-y" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=Y">Y</a>  |  <a id="alpha-z" href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary?index=Z">Z</a> </div> <div> <h3 id="term-text">virtual private network (VPN)</h3> <div class="page-social-buttons" id=""page-social-buttons""> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.csrc.e1c.nist.gov%2Fglossary%2Fterm%2Fvirtual_private_network" class="social-facebook"><i class="fa fa-facebook fa-fw" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="sr-only">Share to Facebook</span></a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.csrc.e1c.nist.gov%2Fglossary%2Fterm%2Fvirtual_private_network" class="social-twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter fa-fw" aria-hidden="true"></i><span class="sr-only">Share to Twitter</span></a> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="col-lg-8 col-sm-12"> <div class="glossary-definition"> <div> <strong>Abbreviation(s) and Synonym(s):</strong> <p class="indent-1"> <div> <div> <a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/glossary/term/vpn" id="term-abbr-link-0">VPN</a> <button class="btn btn-default" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#term-abbr-sources-0" aria-controls="term-abbr-sources-0" aria-expanded="false" style="margin-left: 0.5rem; padding: 4px 6px;"> <span class="collapse-show">show sources</span> <span class="collapse-hide">hide sources</span> </button> <div role="tabpanel" id="term-abbr-sources-0" aria-expanded="false" class="collapse row" style="margin-left: 0.5rem;"> <div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-0" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.cnss.gov/CNSS/issuances/Instructions.cfm" target="_blank">CNSSI 4009-2015</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-1" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-10" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-10B</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-2" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-10" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-10C</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-3" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-12" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-12b</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-4" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-13" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-13C</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-5" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-15" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-15B</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-6" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-19" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-19B</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-7" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-2" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-2</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-8" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-21" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-21B</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-9" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-21" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-21C</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-10" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-23" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-23</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-11" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-24" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-24B</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-12" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-2" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-2b</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-13" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-2" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-2c</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-14" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-31" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-31C</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-15" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-5" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-5b</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-16" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-5" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-5c</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-17" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-7" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-7b</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-18" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-7" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-7c</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-19" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-8" target="_blank">NIST SP 1800-8b</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-20" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-100" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-100</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-21" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-113" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-113</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-22" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-115" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-115</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-23" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-125" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-125</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-24" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-125B" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-125B</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-25" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-128" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-128</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-26" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-160v2r1" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-160 Vol. 2 Rev. 1</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-27" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-163r1" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-163 Rev.1</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-28" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-177r1" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-177 Rev. 1</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-29" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-187" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-187</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-30" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-190" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-190</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-31" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-203" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-203</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-32" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-207" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-207</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-33" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-209" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-209</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-34" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-211" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-211</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-35" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-215" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-215</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-36" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-34r1" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-34 Rev. 1</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-37" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-41r1" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-41 Rev. 1</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-38" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-45ver2" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-45 Version 2</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-39" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-47r1" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-47 Rev. 1</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-40" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-53r5" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-41" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-57pt2r1" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-57 Part 2 Rev.1</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-42" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-61r2" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 2</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-43" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-70r4" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-70 Rev. 4</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-44" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-77r1" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-77 Rev. 1</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-45" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-82r2" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-82 Rev. 2</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-46" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-83r1" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-83 Rev. 1</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-47" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-86" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-86</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-48" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-95" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-95</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-49" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-97" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-97</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-50" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-98" target="_blank">NIST SP 800-98</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-51" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8183" target="_blank">NISTIR 8183</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-52" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8183r1" target="_blank">NISTIR 8183 Rev. 1</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-53" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8183A-2" target="_blank">NISTIR 8183A Vol. 2</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-54" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8183A-3" target="_blank">NISTIR 8183A Vol. 3</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-55" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8196" target="_blank">NISTIR 8196</a></div><div class="col-sm-6 col-xs-12"> <a id="term-abbr-0-src-link-56" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.IR.8235" target="_blank">NISTIR 8235</a></div> </div> </div> </div> </p> </div> <strong>Definition(s):</strong> <div class="indent-1"> <p> <span> <i class="fa fa-book" id="term-def-book-0"></i>  <span id="term-def-text-0">Protected information system link utilizing tunneling, security controls, and endpoint address translation giving the impression of a dedicated line.</span><br/> <strong>Source(s):</strong> <span id="term-def-sources-0" data-lowest-rank="4"> <br/> <span data-source-rank="4"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.1800-21" id="term-def-src-link-0-0">NIST SP 1800-21B</a> <span id="term-def-src-under-0-0"> under Virtual Private Network </span> from <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.cnss.gov/CNSS/issuances/Instructions.cfm" id="term-def-src-src-link-0-0-0">CNSSI 4009-2015</a> </span> <br/> <span data-source-rank="4"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-53r5" id="term-def-src-link-0-1">NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5</a> <span id="term-def-src-under-0-1"> under virtual private network </span> from <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.cnss.gov/CNSS/issuances/Instructions.cfm" id="term-def-src-src-link-0-1-0">CNSSI 4009-2015</a> </span> <br/> </span> <br/> </span> <span> <i class="fa fa-book" id="term-def-book-1"></i>  <span id="term-def-text-1">Protected information system link utilizing tunneling, security controls (see information assurance (IA)), and endpoint address translation giving the impression of a dedicated line.</span><br/> <strong>Source(s):</strong> <span id="term-def-sources-1" data-lowest-rank="4"> <br/> <span data-source-rank="4"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.cnss.gov/CNSS/issuances/Instructions.cfm" id="term-def-src-link-1-0">CNSSI 4009-2015</a> </span> <br/> </span> <br/> </span> <span> <i class="fa fa-book" id="term-def-book-2"></i>  <span id="term-def-text-2">A virtual network built on top of existing networks that can provide a secure communications mechanism for data and IP information transmitted between networks.</span><br/> <strong>Source(s):</strong> <span id="term-def-sources-2" data-lowest-rank="4"> <br/> <span data-source-rank="4"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-113" id="term-def-src-link-2-0">NIST SP 800-113</a> <span id="term-def-src-under-2-0"> under Virtual Private Network </span> </span> <br/> </span> <br/> </span> <span> <i class="fa fa-book" id="term-def-book-3"></i>  <span id="term-def-text-3">A restricted-use, logical (i.e., artificial or simulated) computer network that is constructed from the system resources of a relatively public, physical (i.e., real) network (such as the Internet), often by using encryption (located at hosts or gateways), and often by tunneling links of the virtual network across the real network.</span><br/> <strong>Source(s):</strong> <span id="term-def-sources-3" data-lowest-rank="4"> <br/> <span data-source-rank="4"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-82r2" id="term-def-src-link-3-0">NIST SP 800-82 Rev. 2</a> <span id="term-def-src-under-3-0"> under Virtual Private Network (VPN) </span> from <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.17487/RFC4949" id="term-def-src-src-link-3-0-0">RFC 4949</a> </span> <br/> </span> <br/> </span> <span> <i class="fa fa-book" id="term-def-book-4"></i>  <span id="term-def-text-4">A virtual network built on top of existing physical networks that can provide a secure communications mechanism for data and IP information transmitted between networks or between different nodes on the same network.</span><br/> <strong>Source(s):</strong> <span id="term-def-sources-4" data-lowest-rank="4"> <br/> <span data-source-rank="4"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-77r1" id="term-def-src-link-4-0">NIST SP 800-77 Rev. 1</a> <span id="term-def-src-under-4-0"> under Virtual Private Network (VPN) </span> </span> <br/> </span> <br/> </span> </p> </div> </div> <p></p> </div> <div class="col-lg-4 hidden-xs hidden-sm hidden-md"> <div class="bs-callout bs-callout-danger" id="glossary-comments-callout"> <h4>Glossary Comments</h4> <p><strong>Comments about specific definitions</strong> should be sent to the authors of the linked Source publication. For NIST publications, an email is usually found within the document.</p> <p><strong>Comments about the glossary's presentation and functionality</strong> should be sent to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/mailto:secglossary@nist.gov" id="sec-glossary-email">secglossary@nist.gov</a>. </p> <p>See <a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/publications/detail/nistir/7298/rev-3/final" id="nistir-7298-link">NISTIR 7298 Rev. 3</a> for additional details.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer-pusher"></div> </div> <footer id="footer"> <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6"> <span class="hidden-xs"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/" title="National Institute of Standards and Technology" rel="home" target="_blank" class="footer-nist-logo" id="footer-nist-logo-link"> <img src="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/Media/images/nist-logo-brand-white.svg" alt="National Institute of Standards and Technology logo" id="footer-nist-logo"/> </a> </span> <div class="row footer-contact-container"> <div class="col-sm-12" id="footer-address"> <strong>HEADQUARTERS</strong><br> 100 Bureau Drive<br> Gaithersburg, MD 20899 </div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-6"> <ul class="social-list text-right" style="display: block;"> <li class="field-item service-twitter list-horiz"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://twitter.com/NISTCyber" class="social-btn social-btn--large extlink ext" id="footer-social-twitter-link"> <i class="fa fa-twitter fa-fw"><span class="element-invisible">twitter</span></i><span class="ext"><span class="element-invisible"> (link is external)</span></span> </a> </li> <li class="field-item service-facebook list-horiz"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.facebook.com/NIST" class="social-btn social-btn--large extlink ext" id="footer-social-facebook-link"> <i class="fa fa-facebook fa-fw"><span class="element-invisible">facebook</span></i><span class="ext"><span class="element-invisible"> (link is external)</span></span> </a> </li> <li class="field-item service-linkedin list-horiz"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.linkedin.com/company/nist" class="social-btn social-btn--large extlink ext" id="footer-social-linkedin-link"> <i class="fa fa-linkedin fa-fw"><span class="element-invisible">linkedin</span></i><span class="ext"><span class="element-invisible"> (link is external)</span></span> </a> </li> <li class="field-item service-instagram list-horiz"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.instagram.com/usnistgov/" class="social-btn social-btn--large extlink ext" id="footer-social-instagram-link"> <i class="fa fa-instagram fa-fw"><span class="element-invisible">instagram</span></i> <span class="ext"><span class="element-invisible"> (link is external)</span></span> </a> </li> <li class="field-item service-youtube list-horiz"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.youtube.com/user/USNISTGOV" class="social-btn social-btn--large extlink ext" id="footer-social-youtube-link"> <i class="fa fa-youtube fa-fw"><span class="element-invisible">youtube</span></i><span class="ext"><span class="element-invisible"> (link is external)</span></span> </a> </li> <li class="field-item service-rss list-horiz"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/news-events/nist-rss-feeds" class="social-btn social-btn--large extlink" id="footer-social-rss-link"> <i class="fa fa-rss fa-fw"><span class="element-invisible">rss</span></i> </a> </li> <li class="field-item service-govdelivery list-horiz last"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNIST/subscriber/new?qsp=USNIST_3" class="social-btn social-btn--large extlink ext" title="Subscribe to CSRC and publication updates, and other NIST cybersecurity news" id="footer-social-govdelivery-link"> <i class="fa fa-envelope fa-fw"><span class="element-invisible">govdelivery</span></i><span class="ext"><span class="element-invisible"> (link is external)</span></span> </a> </li> </ul> <p class="text-right"> Want updates about CSRC and our publications? <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNIST/subscriber/new?qsp=USNIST_3" class="btn btn-lg btn-info" style="background-color: #12659c!important; border-color: #12659c!important;" id="footer-subscribe-link">Subscribe</a> </p> </div> </div> <div class="row hidden-sm hidden-md hidden-lg"> <div class="col-sm-12"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/" title="National Institute of Standards and Technology" rel="home" target="_blank" class="footer-nist-logo" id="footer-bottom-nist-logo-link"> <img src="/web/20230102230546im_/https://csrc.nist.gov/CSRC/Media/images/logo_rev.png" alt="National Institute of Standards and Technology logo" id="footer-bottom-nist-logo"/> </a> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="col-sm-6"> <p> <a href="/web/20230102230546/https://csrc.nist.gov/about/contact" id="footer-contact-us-link">Contact Us</a> | <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/about-nist/our-organization" style="display: inline-block;" id="footer-org-link">Our Other Offices</a> </p> </div> <div class="col-sm-6"> <span class="pull-right text-right"> Send inquiries to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/mailto:csrc-inquiry@nist.gov?subject=CSRC Inquiry" style="display: inline-block;" id="footer-inquiries-link">csrc-inquiry@nist.gov</a> </span> </div> </div> <div class="row"> <div class="footer-bottom-links-container" id="footer-bottom-links-container"> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/privacy-policy">Site Privacy</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/oism/accessibility">Accessibility</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/privacy">Privacy Program</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/oism/copyrights">Copyrights</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.commerce.gov/vulnerability-disclosure-policy">Vulnerability Disclosure</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/no-fear-act-policy">No Fear Act Policy</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/foia">FOIA</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/environmental-policy-statement">Environmental Policy</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/summary-report-scientific-integrity">Scientific Integrity</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.nist.gov/nist-information-quality-standards">Information Quality Standards</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.commerce.gov/">Commerce.gov</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.science.gov/">Science.gov</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://www.usa.gov/">USA.gov</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546/https://vote.gov/">Vote.gov</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </footer> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20230102230546js_/https://csrc.nist.gov/dist/js/quick-collapse.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20230102230546js_/https://csrc.nist.gov/dist/app.bundle.js"></script>  <script defer src="https://web.archive.org/web/20230102230546js_/https://www.google.com/recaptcha/api.js?render=6LcQo40UAAAAAJpAj4X-i-WfOzdbu6d7j7kKryDS"></script> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

virtual private network (VPN) - Glossary | CSRC