VPN Information

Longwood University offers a remote access VPN for use from any computer.

More information on requesting this access can be found in the User Support Help and Tutorials - Virtual Private Network (VPN) page.

What is a VPN?

A virtual private network (VPN) is a way of providing remote access to internal resources for faculty and staff by establishing a secure and reliable connection across a public infrastructure, like the Internet.

Key elements of a VPN:

• Encryption - VPNs use encryption to encode data so that it is protected from unauthorized viewing and unreadable by anyone but the intended recipient while it is in transit.
• Authentication - VPNs use authentication to verify identity before establishing a connection between devices for sending and receiving data.

Secure Any Computer Used for Remote Access

When you use the university's VPN, you should ensure that any computer used for remote access has:

• Working antivirus (security) software
• Up-to-date patches
• Personal firewall
• Strong administrator password

See the Device Security page for information on securing the device you use for remote access.