A VPN is a Virtual Private Network. For the scope of this document, this is defined as two LANs, geographically separated, that communicate over a public network (such as the Internet) to maintain connectivity, and do so in a way that ensures that information passed between the two LANs is not accessible to unauthorized parties on the public section of the network.
PCWebopedia () defines a VPN as: "Short for virtual private network, a network that is constructed by using public wires to connect nodes. For example, there are a number of systems that enable you to create networks using the Internet as the medium for transporting data. These systems use encryption and other security mechanisms to ensure that only authorized users can access the network and that the data cannot be intercepted."
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