Cloud VPN

Definition

A cloud VPN is a managed virtual private network service that creates an encrypted tunnel between an on-premises network (or individual user) and a cloud provider's virtual network, so traffic between them stays private over the public internet.

Overview

Organizations moving workloads to the cloud still need to connect those workloads securely to on-premises offices, data centers, or remote employees. A cloud VPN solves this by establishing an encrypted, authenticated tunnel — typically using IPsec — between a customer's network equipment and a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), so that internal traffic never travels across the public internet in plaintext. Cloud VPNs come in two common forms: site-to-site VPNs, which connect an entire on-premises network to the cloud through a gateway device, and client (or point-to-site) VPNs, which let individual users connect their laptops directly. Because the tunnel runs over the public internet, throughput and latency are less predictable than a dedicated line, which is why organizations with strict performance needs often pair a cloud VPN with, or upgrade to, a private connection like Direct Connect / ExpressRoute. Cloud VPN configuration is usually layered on top of a Cloud Firewall, restricting which resources the tunnel can reach even after authentication succeeds — a defense-in-depth approach covered in cloud networking sections of courses like Cloud Security.

Key Features

• Encrypted, authenticated tunnel typically built on IPsec
• Available as site-to-site (network-to-network) or client (point-to-site) VPN
• Connects on-premises infrastructure to a cloud provider's VPC
• Runs over the public internet, so throughput can vary
• Often paired with firewall rules restricting reachable resources
• Faster and cheaper to provision than a dedicated private connection

Use Cases

Frequently Asked Questions

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