SoftLayer Technologies, a provider of on-demand data center hosting and cloud services, has announced the addition of Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) to its best-in-class portal allowing customers to securely connect to their infrastructure environment through a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

IPsec provides a framework of protocols for protecting transmissions over an IP network. This allows the creation of a secure VPN over the existing Internet, with data fully encrypted and secure when transferred between two points. IPsec resides at the network level and can be implemented regardless of applications used, giving remote users full access to their network and to robust data, voice, or video applications.

IPsec at SoftLayer includes:

• Secure, site-to-site network connectivity (PPTP and SSL VPN are generally limited to desktop-to-site connectivity)
• Multi-phase authentication process (in contrast to username/password security common to PPTP and SSL)
• Network Address Translation (simplifying the connection of resources on either side of the IPsec tunnel)
• Transparent connectivity for applications (other technologies often require additional configuration)

“As we continue to enhance the SoftLayer customer experience, IPsec VPN services bring an additional option for remote access,” said Ric Moseley, SoftLayer Vice President of Network Operations. “IPsec provides customers an extremely robust pipeline for accessing information on their SoftLayer infrastructure. IPsec’s extensive level of access to remote applications makes it ideal for managing applications from a distance and increasing productivity.”