SSL Remote Access: Reverse Proxy Technology Plus

While advancements in SSL VPN have led to products sporting many other capabilities, at their core (and since the inception of SSL VPN technology) many SSL VPN servers utilize reverse-proxy-like technology to accept Web-based user requests and transmit them to internal resources. Of course, today's SSL VPNs add significant additional functionality to those reverse-proxy-type functions.

So, what does an SSL VPN offer in addition to standard reverse proxy functionality and why must it be added?

The primary technical enhancements, all of which are extremely significant when it comes to providing remote access, are:

• Ability to allow both web and non-web applications to utilize the SSL tunnel for communication: A simple Web reverse proxy allows access to only Web-based applications, but for SSL VPN technology to provide a viable remote access solution, other types of applications must also be made remotely available.

• Ability to offer remote access...