VPN Solutions to Secure Your AWS Cloud Network

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Securing your AWS cloud network is no easy task. There are so many complex security considerations when moving to the public cloud. One tool that can really help lock things down is a virtual private network (VPN).

I want to walk you through the pros and cons of different VPN options for AWS. I‘ve been working in cloud security for over 5 years, and I can tell you that having the right VPN strategy is absolutely critical for protecting your cloud data and resources.

First off, what exactly is a VPN and why should you care? Think of a VPN as an encrypted tunnel that lets you securely access private resources over a public network like the internet. It creates a private little channel that outsiders can‘t peek into.

VPNs are useful for a few key reasons:

• Your data stays private as it travels over the internet. Nosy ISPs or hackers on Wi-Fi can‘t see what you‘re transferring.

• You can securely access remote private networks and resources, like your work servers in the cloud. It basically extends your internal network through the internet.

• You can control access with authentication. Users have to log in over the VPN tunnel to reach protected assets.

• It hides your location and network. You can appear to connect from the VPN server rather than your actual public IP address.

Those capabilities are hugely beneficial for securing AWS infrastructure and applications. When combined with other tools like firewalls and identity management, a VPN provides an important encrypted security perimeter around your cloud environment.

Now I‘ll break down the major VPN options available for AWS and give you my thoughts on each one.

AWS Site-to-Site VPN

This is AWS‘s built-in VPN service. It sets up an IPsec encrypted tunnel between your Amazon VPC and your on-premises data center or office location.

The AWS VPN gateway on their end connects to your own customer gateway – usually a hardware VPN device like a Cisco or Juniper router. This requires some configuration expertise to set up properly.

AWS handles all the complex network routing in the cloud. You just have to make sure your gateway is compatible and set things up right on your end.

Pros:

• Native AWS service with tight integration

• Handles the heavy lifting of network configuration

• Cost-effective since you just pay for the VPC attachment

• Supports the standard IPsec protocol

Cons:

• Requires compatible customer gateway hardware/software

• No client remote access support

• Limited advanced features compared to third-party VPNs

• Have to manage the customer gateway device yourself

Overall, AWS Site-to-Site VPN is a solid foundational option if you just need basic connectivity between sites and don‘t want to manage VPN software yourself.

AWS Client VPN

This managed VPN service lets remote users securely access AWS resources or on-premises networks. Users can download VPN client software onto their own devices to connect back to gateways hosted on AWS.

It provides strong encryption and even supports multi-factor authentication (MFA) for accessing the VPN. You can also integrate with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) to control permissions.

Pros:

• Hands-off managed VPN service

• MFA support for enhanced security

• Tight access control integration with AWS IAM

• Works with a broad range of client devices

• Takes care of scaling and availability automatically

Cons:

• Currently only supports the TLS protocol, not IPsec

• No site-to-site connectivity between networks

• Advanced routing options are limited

AWS Client VPN simplifies secure remote access. It‘s a nice option for mobility use cases or companies without complex networking needs. Just know it lacks some of the sophisticated site-to-site and routing capabilities of other solutions.

Third-Party VPN Partners

AWS has teamed up with all the major enterprise VPN vendors: Cisco, Palo Alto, Fortinet, you name it.

These integrated third-party options give you additional flexibility and features beyond native AWS tools. Of course, that power comes with added cost and complexity.

Here are some of the advantages you gain:

• Broader protocol support – SSL, IPsec, IKEv2, proprietary VPN protocols to choose from

• Integrated identity management – Tie into LDAP, Active Directory, SAML for access controls

• Microsegmentation – Isolate workloads rather than full network segments

• Existing on-prem infrastructure – Use your hardware appliances as gateways

• Advanced security – Next-gen firewall, IPS, malware prevention bolted on

• Centralized monitoring and control – Manage everything from one dashboard

The downsides are that these advanced platforms can get extremely complex to properly configure and manage. The costs also jump considerably – you‘ll easily pay over $100 per user annually.

But if you need the full enterprise feature-set, third-party VPN partners fill gaps in AWS‘s native connectivity options.

Top VPN Solutions for AWS

Based on my experience, here are four of the leading VPN platforms purpose-built for AWS.

Cisco Secure Connector

Cisco is the 800-pound gorilla of enterprise networking, so it‘s no surprise they offer a robust VPN solution for AWS.

Secure Connector sets up site-to-site IPsec tunnels between AWS VPCs and your on-prem Cisco infrastructure. It also enables remote access over the internet through AnyConnect VPN clients.

Cisco‘s dashboards give you granular control and visibility across hybrid cloud networks. And you can hook into advanced capabilities like SD-WAN optimization and next-gen firewalls.

The tight integration with Cisco‘s ecosystem is powerful if you already have their routers and switches in-house. But be ready to pay a premium – Secure Connector sits at the high end of the market.

Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect

GlobalProtect has emerged as a top-tier VPN thanks to its seamless blend of connectivity and security.

It goes far beyond basic access by inspecting VPN traffic with wildfire malware prevention and machine learning anomaly detection. GlobalProtect also ties into Panorama for single-pane-of-glass monitoring and logging.

For AWS use, GlobalProtect can terminate VPN connections directly on cloud gateway instances. It also integrates with Prisma Access to secure internet-bound traffic.

The unified infrastructure security sets GlobalProtect apart. Just know that Palo Alto doesn‘t come cheap either.

Fortinet FortiGate

FortiGate appliances combine full-featured VPN capabilities with Fortinet‘s high-performance next-gen firewall and anti-malware security.

You can deploy FortiGates as BYOL instances on AWS or standalone hardware appliances on-premises. Their ASICSSL acceleration means you don‘t take an encryption performance hit for scanning VPN traffic.

FortiGate also provides integrated endpoint management through FortiClient software on user devices. This simplifies remote access while enforcing security policies on endpoints.

Overall, FortiGate VPN delivers a complete secure access platform with advanced security baked-in. And Fortinet appliances are generally more affordable than Cisco or Palo Alto‘s offerings.

Perimeter 81

Perimeter 81 takes a different approach entirely by offering VPN as a cloud service. Everything runs on their global high-availability platform – you don‘t have to manage any VPN infrastructure yourself.

The Perimeter 81 client provides a simple, zero-trust method for users to access private AWS or hybrid resources. Policies are enforced automatically across devices.

For AWS, Perimeter 81 sets up site-to-site IPSec tunnels between cloud networks and data centers. The service also isolates and segments specific cloud environments.

Perimeter 81 is compelling for its speed and ease of deployment. Just don‘t expect the full feature breadth of the other VPN heavyweights above.

Open Source Options

I also want to mention that open source VPN software like OpenVPN and WireGuard are viable options. Solutions like OpenVPN Access Server give you commercial-grade VPN capabilities at a fraction of the cost.

The Linux-based software definitely requires more IT skills to implement compared to turnkey vendors. However, you avoid vendor lock-in and retain control over customization.

Just make sure you have the DevOps resources to properly configure, secure, monitor, and maintain open source VPNs in production. Don‘t underestimate what‘s required to run them at scale.

The Right VPN Depends on Your Needs

There‘s clearly no shortage of capable VPN solutions tailored for AWS. Picking the right one ultimately depends on your organization‘s use cases, skill set, and budget.

If you just need basic site-to-site connectivity, AWS Site-to-Site VPN is probably sufficient. For secure remote access, check out AWS Client VPN.

Third-party solutions like Cisco, Palo Alto, and Fortinet offer the most robust capabilities. But you pay a premium and take on added complexity.

Newer services like Perimeter 81 provide a simple, cloud-based VPN without the headache of appliances and hardware. And don‘t rule out open source options – you can get enterprise-grade results at SMB cost if you have the chops.

Take a close look at the pros and cons for your environment. Reach out if you want to chat more about the VPN deployment process. I help companies secure and optimize their cloud networks on a daily basis – I‘m always happy to lend my expertise!

Stay safe out in the cloud,
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