Secure Computing SafeNet User Manual

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About Soft-PK & Sidewinder VPNs
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Getting Started 
About Soft-PK & 
Sidewinder VPNs
Soft-PK is security software for remote PC users. It is designed to 
provide data privacy between remote users and a corporate network. 
Industry-standard encryption and user verification routines protect the 
data sent over the connection. Soft-PK conforms to Internet 
Engineering Task Force (IETF) standards for TCP/IP and IP Security 
(IPSec) protocols.
Soft-PK works with the Secure Computing Sidewinder firewall to 
establish secure VPNs over public and private networks. Information 
passed across a VPN is encrypted, ensuring privacy and 
confidentiality.
Figure 1-1.
Sidewinder VPN
connection providing
secure data transmission
between a remote
system running Soft-PK
and your internal
network(s)
Note:  In a VPN connection, keep in mind that the definition of "remote" depends on 
perspective. From the Sidewinder’s point of view, the remote end is a system connecting 
from the Internet. From the Soft-PK system’s point of view, the remote end is the Sidewinder 
(VPN gateway) and the protected network.
Using Soft-PK, a mobile employee or telecommuter can establish 
authenticated and encrypted access with networks protected by 
Secure Computing’s fully IKE (Internet Key Exchange) compliant 
Sidewinder firewall. Remote users can access secure corporate 
resources using either public networks or corporate dial-up lines.
Soft-PK
Sidewinder
Internet
Protected Network
Internet
= VPN tunnel 
= Data
VPN