Find out more information about the usage of VPN technology.

What is VPN?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It's a technology that was put in place so that people could remotely access resources (files, shares, etc...) that are located at a remote location securely. 

Analogy: Think of the internet as the wild west. If you needed to send gold from California to Washington DC, you'd hire a security company to accompany your wagon during the delivery to protect it from being stolen. 

VPN kind of works that way. It protects your transmission from hackers as it moves along the internet and it also makes sure that your route doesn't get diverted all in attempts to deliver and receive information accurately and safely.

What can I  use it for?

You can connect and authenicate using vpn and access the files on your desktop (if you have a desktop), COSW share folders, or COSW home directories. You can work on files from home that are located on the COSW servers. If you have a desktop, using vpn, you can connect directly to it and control it just like you were sitting in front of it.

How do I access VPN?

Bring up a web browser and go to the following site:

https://sslvpn.sc.edu/facstaff/