VPN Data Security

Stanford VPN provides encryption from your computer to the Stanford VPN gateway. While Stanford VPN provides encryption between your computer and the Stanford network, be aware that other security measures, such as proper password use, operating system security patches, firewall settings, up-to-date virus scanners, and the like are still required to protect the data you are sending electronically. Please use caution and do not send your passwords or other confidential information as you would over a secure network. (Logging in to an HTTPS destination is OK.)

If you are using a wireless network or are connecting from outside the Stanford network (for example, at a conference), it is recommended that you use Stanford VPN to connect to the Stanford network. (VPN use is for wired and wireless use.) If you are using a wired computer and are on the Stanford network, it is generally sufficient to use encrypted protocols such as SSH, HTTPS, and IMAPS instead of VPN. (Using VPN in this case would not measurably improve security.)