FortiOS Handbook: FortiGate IPsec VPNs

Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology enables users to connect to private networks in a secure way. For example, an employee traveling or working from home can access the office network through the Internet. The use of a VPN ensures that unauthorized parties cannot access the office network and cannot intercept any of the information that is exchanged with the employee. It is also common to use a VPN to connect the private networks of two or more offices. Fortinet offers VPN capabilities in the FortiGate Unified Threat Management appliance and in the FortiClient Endpoint Security application. A FortiGate unit can be installed on a private network, and FortiClient software is installed on the user’s computer. It is also possible to use a FortiGate unit to connect to the private network instead of FortiClient software.