One of the more popular features on VPNC's web site is our extensive list of white papers from our members. These cover a range of topics from VPN basics to cryptography. As interesting new white papers appear, we will list them in the VPNC Update.

Agilent Technologies has prepared a very useful white paper about testing methodologies for VPN systems. Testing MPLS and IP VPNs covers both insecure layer-2 VPN technologies such as MPLS and secure VPNs using IPsec. The paper goes into detail about setting up test networks, doing performance testing, and a host of other test-related topics.

IPsec Standards News

RFC 3193 is a new standard that should interest everyone in the IPsec community. The standard, "Securing L2TP using IPsec" describes how to use IPsec in L2TP tunnels as a way of securing layer-2 traffic. L2TP is used for tunneling PPP traffic over a variety of networks, most notably IP, and this standard shows how to use IPsec to protect the traffic in the tunnels. Products using this standard are already shipping from many VPNC members.

The IETF's IPsec Working Group is now actively considering new key establishment algorithms as successors to IKE. The upcoming IETF meeting should have lively discussion on the different proposals. We'll cover this topic in more detail in next months VPNC Update.

Upcoming Events

The Infosecurity conference will take place December 4 to 6 in New York City. The conference covers all aspects of security, including IPsec VPNs.

The 52nd meeting of the IETF will be held in Salt Lake City, Utah, December 9-14. There will be a handful of VPN-related sessions, including sessions for the IPsec and the IPsec Policy working groups.

The Tolly Group is hosting a webcast on December 18. The Impact of Security Processing on Firewall/VPN Performance is co-sponsored by VPNC member Nortel.

One of the larger networking conferences is the annual ComNet, held in Washington DC January 28-31, 2002. This year's event includes a debate-style "VPN Showdown". While not as huge and Networld+Interop, ComNet attracts a sizable audience, and many VPNC members will be exhibiting.

About This Mailing List

The VPNC Update is a low-volume, one-way mailing list to inform people about news in the VPN industry. Subscription is open to all, members and non-members. If you have questions about the content of VPNC Update, or suggestions or information for future issues, please send them to Paul Hoffman, VPNC's director.

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