Enterprise Non Public Network (Private Network): In this age of the internet, all users

connected to the internet can send and receive data publicly. But in its primitive form, computer
networks were formed by organizations such as universities, military, and research organizations.
These kinds of private networks served a limited purpose. Such networks were formulated with
the safety of communication at the network as the utmost priority and were used for the sharing
of resources. To maintain secure communication encryption was used Non-Public Network.

Later on with the advent of the World Wide Web and the internet during the 1990s, private
networks evolved. These private networks used public infrastructure to communicate with each
other. To maintain secure communication encryption was used. Since such networks deal mainly
with private networks, Enterprise Non-Public network can be termed as Enterprise Private
Network (EPN) (for the scope of this article).

The original purpose of EPN was data protection and sharing of resources. EPNs serve the
purpose of providing organizations with secure interconnection amongst its fundamentally
different bodies or departments which might be spread over a vast geographical network. This
brought integration of business activities, thereby making the organization work in a coordinated
way. The business implications were enormous thus.

To bring in effect an EPN, restrictions are placed in such networks. Security is maintained by
ensuring only registered devices could gain access to such networks. Network devices such as
the router are encoded to deny or allow access points to devices that are trying to connect to such
a network.

In other matters, the public and private networks used almost the same technology and
infrastructure. The only difference being the security angle in an EPN. On an EPN, web-servers
must be surely protected, and hence arise the need for firewalls and safety protocols to be
followed.

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 What is Storage Area Network(SAN)?

 What is Wide Area Network, Advantages of WAN, Disadvantages of WAN

A related concept to EPN is the VPN (Virtual Private Network). It extends a private network
across the public network. In this, the information that a user communicates over a public
network is shared as if their computers were connected to a private network.

The communication is encrypted and secure over a VPN. Therefore, devices that run across a
VPN are benefitted by the strength, security, and management of the private network. VPN is
more secure as they may help mask IP addresses, hide the physical location of devices, avoid
censorship blocks, etc.

Advantages of using an EPN:

It becomes clear from the purpose of EPNs that they have certain advantages in using them, they
are:

1. Maximum Security: A private organization or business adhere to the strictest norms of security
of their data and shared resources. Data circulation is crucial to sustaining an organization and
hence the built-in security and encryption features ensure that no outsiders or unwanted access
happen to the private network. So, even if the initial costs of setting up an EPN may seem high,
they are totally worth every penny.
2. Cost savings: A secure way to share information and resources is possible on an EPN. This keeps
the organization’s workflow in action and sustains the business. By sharing resources on the
EPN, the cost of physically transporting data to various departments/parts of an organization
located over vast areas is reduced. Time-saving also happens by the virtue of such a setup.
Hence, EPN is very useful.
3. Centralization: Since, EPN connects different parts of an organization located over different
geographical reaches, continuity of business is ensured. A disruption at a place doesn’t affect
the whole business. Contingency plans to deal with the disruption are activated saving time and
money.

A few disadvantages of using an EPN-

1. A full-time network administrator is needed to keep the system up and going.

2. The use of firewalls, security protocols and systems increase the costs of upkeep and
maintenance for an organization.

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