Enterprise Non-Public Network (Private Network): In this age of the internet, all users connected to the internet can send and receive data publicly. But in its primitive form, computer networks were formed by organizations such as universities, military, and research organizations. These kinds of private networks served a limited purpose. Such networks were formulated with the safety of communication at the network as the utmost priority and were used for the sharing of resources. To maintain secure communication encryption was used Non-Public Network.
Later on with the advent of the World Wide Web and the internet during the 1990s, private networks evolved. These private networks used public infrastructure to communicate with each other. To maintain secure communication encryption was used. Since such networks deal mainly with private networks, Enterprise Non-Public network can be termed as Enterprise Private Network (EPN) (for the scope of this article).
The original purpose of EPN was data protection and sharing of resources. EPNs serve the purpose of providing organizations with secure interconnection amongst its fundamentally different bodies or departments which might be spread over a vast geographical network. This brought the integration of business activities, thereby making the organization work in a coordinated way. The business implications were enormous thus.
To bring in effect an EPN, restrictions are placed in such networks. Security is maintained by ensuring only registered devices could gain access to such networks. Network devices such as the router are encoded to deny or allow access points to devices that are trying to connect to such a network.
In other matters, the public and private networks used almost the same technology and infrastructure. The only difference being the security angle in an EPN. On an EPN, web-servers must be surely protected, and hence arise the need for firewalls and safety protocols to be followed.
Also, read…
- What is Storage Area Network(SAN)?
- What is Wide Area Network, Advantages of WAN, Disadvantages of WAN
A related concept to EPN is the VPN (Virtual Private Network). It extends a private network across the public network. In this, the information that a user communicates over a public network is shared as if their computers were connected to a private network.
The communication is encrypted and secure over a VPN. Therefore, devices that run across a VPN are benefitted by the strength, security, and management of the private network. VPN is more secure as they may help mask IP addresses, hide the physical location of devices, avoid censorship blocks, etc.
Advantages of using an EPN:
It becomes clear from the purpose of EPNs that they have certain advantages in using them, they are:
Maximum Security: A private organization or business adhere to the strictest norms of security of their data and shared resources. Data circulation is crucial to sustaining an organization and hence the built-in security and encryption features ensure that no outsiders or unwanted access happen to the private network. So, even if the initial costs of setting up an EPN may seem high, they are totally worth every penny.
Cost savings: A secure way to share information and resources is possible on an EPN. This keeps the organization’s workflow in action and sustains the business. By sharing resources on the EPN, the cost of physically transporting data to various departments/parts of an organization located over vast areas is reduced. Time-saving also happens by the virtue of such a setup. Hence, EPN is very useful.
Centralization: Since, EPN connects different parts of an organization located over different geographical reaches, continuity of business is ensured. A disruption at a place doesn’t affect the whole business. Contingency plans to deal with the disruption are activated saving time and money.
A few disadvantages of using an EPN–
- A full-time network administrator is needed to keep the system up and going.
- The use of firewalls, security protocols and systems increase the costs of upkeep and maintenance for an organization.
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