SECURITY ISSUES OF VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORKS: A SURVEY Abdulrahman Mueed Ali Alshehri 1 , Hosam Lafi Aljuhani 2 , Aboubakr Salem Bajenaid 3 Arrowhead001@hotmail.com 1 , hlaljuhani@kau.edu.sa 2 , abajnaid@kau.edu.sa 3 Abstract The usage of VPN services not only helps to connect different entities and organizations, it as well forms the critical component upon which various interactive services related to offering internet coverage. As various business localities and settings relating to private network augments so does the various interconnecting prerequisites as well as the network intricacy. The usage of VPN as well forms a decisive aspect for the reason that network management has turned out to be more essential and even more expensive. Undeniably, a good number of the large private networks often surpass the dimension and intricacy of smaller ones, and it is a reason as to why the virtual private network has to be excellently studied to showcase the diverse benefits that permit it to connect, retain and even sustain diverse business models. In this regard, the paper aims to discuss the diverse interconnect functionalities of VPN; it examines various VPN operations along with the various network security concerns. 1. Introduction Data fortification in conjunction with accessibility occupies an imperative component in the execution of diverse procedures. Having ample access to networks whilst in remote regions can be a frightening situation for lots of human beings. Such individuals vary from dynamic salespersons, which ought to endorse and connect with the community by making use of the diverse networks, company executives who should inform and get updated as regards the diverse procedures happening in the corporations, etc [2]. Such human beings hope that they could gain access to their various dealings with the PC networks whilst in remote regions. For this reason, they yearn for a private network model that will connect them to their company network or an arrangement that will construct and connect the server in their business data center with a peripheral internet connection [1]. In consequence of the valuable and appropriate information it grasps, the safety unease should be reflected on with much keenness and consciousness. However, such negative occurrences can be foiled by making use of the diverse VPN models. This representation of private network utilizes an unrestricted network to connect isolated sites and users at the same time. The VPN representation exploits virtual linkages connected by means of the internet modes from an exact corporation's private network and to the diverse remote sites [2-5]. Because of making use of VPN, the data used during the linkage is encrypted to hold over any incidences of spying and theft of character. Thereby, in the most terrible occurrence that other persons seize the data traffic; the grabbed ciphers will not be of much assistance because they will not relinquish essential information. Internet censorship comprises the most amplified dangers to the online confidentiality of citizens as well as their independence to attain appropriate information in addition to other varieties of information [6, 7]. This way, there exist a variety of applications, for instance, Tor, SSH Tunnel plus VPN that give rise to an encrypted channel that assists human beings in evading censoring plans. On the other hand, such models are merely efficient owing to the incidence that the censoring framework could only inspect and examine data packets via plaintext. With the augmentation of traffic scrutiny processes, it is exclusively attainable for any unit to unearth receptive and pertinent information from the encrypted packages bearing in mind the actuality that encryption procedures do not modify a packet’s geometric property for example length of the package, its appearance plus its direction [8]. Given the reality that diverse outlines of statistical information can be revealed from encrypted exchanges, it is extremely possible to recognize traffic’s path in addition to other varieties of information from encrypted traffic molds. International Journal of Computer Science and Information Security (IJCSIS), Vol. 16, No. 2, February 2018 63 https://sites.google.com/site/ijcsis/ ISSN 1947-5500