UGA Remote Access Virtual Private Network (VPN)

Owned by Bryan McLucas
Last updated: Sept 23, 2024 by Michael Hill
2 min read

Overview

The official VPN software for the UGA campus is Cisco AnyConnect, supported by EITS. This VPN should be used for accessing campus network resources while working remotely and for accessing sensitive systems while on-campus. While off-campus, this VPN functions as a “split-tunnel”, where network traffic intended for campus is securely handled by the VPN and all other internet traffic is insecurely handled by the regular internet service provider. For situations requiring protection of all traffic from a remote location (E.g., working from a foreign country), the use of a “full tunnel” VPN connection may be necessary to provide the appropriate level of network security of all traffic.

Cisco AnyConnect VPN and International Travel

Members of the UGA community who are traveling internationally may have a need to route all traffic through a “full tunnel.” This feature can be enabled on a case-by-case basis. Submit a ticket to EITS here requesting international VPN access for the specified MyID. The authorized account can then be used for connecting the Cisco AnyConnect VPN client to remote.uga.edu/international to use the full tunnel. Requests can also be submitted by the Office of Global Engagement on your behalf.

Third party VPN services

While most third party VPN services (E.g., NordVPN, ExpressVPN, SurfShark) also establish a single tunnel to their network, it is NOT to the UGA campus but to the provider’s network itself. This can help to mitigate security concerns of a local network (E.g., public wireless, foreign country, hotel business center) but it will NOT provide a secured tunnel to the UGA campus directly. Use of third party VPNs should be used carefully and risks fully understood to avoid putting data or systems at risk. The UGA campus does not currently have a policy prohibiting the use of third party VPNs for security and privacy reasons, however, a policy may be adopted in the future. Individuals are responsible for understanding the risks and limitations of such services. Submit a ticket to Franklin OIT for assistance installing a client.

Client software must be provided by the individual and Franklin OIT cannot offer support for a given service. If a future policy or stance on third party VPN service is adopted, it may be necessary to remove previous installations.

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