Cisco Secure VPN Client (network security)

The Cisco Secure VPN Client provides members of the University of Kassel with secure remote access to internal IT services such as network drives, campus licenses or protected websites that are normally only available within the university network.

The service is aimed at all students and employees of the University of Kassel who need to access internal IT resources from off campus.

The IT Service Center (ITS) of the University of Kassel is responsible for the provision, maintenance and support of the Cisco Secure VPN Client.

The Cisco Secure VPN Client establishes an encrypted connection between the user's end device and the university network. A split-tunnel profile is used in which only the data traffic to the ".uni-kassel.de" domain is routed via the VPN tunnel, while the remaining Internet traffic is routed directly via the local Internet provider.

For certain services, such as access to library resources, direct access via the library platform can be used as an alternative. However, the Cisco Secure VPN Client offers a more comprehensive solution for accessing various internal IT services.

• Secure remote access to internal IT services at the University of Kassel.
• Split tunneling: Only traffic to the domain ".uni-kassel.de" is routed via the VPN tunnel.
• Support for various operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS).
• Two-factor authentication for increased security, if this is mandatory.
• Regular session interruption after 24 hours or 1 hour of inactivity for security.

Example 1: An employee wants to access internal network drives from home to work on project data. The VPN connection gives him secure access to the required resources.

Example 2: A student needs off-campus access to licensed software applications that are only available within the university network. She can use these applications with the VPN client.

• Active UniAccount of the University of Kassel.

• Installation of the Cisco Secure VPN Client on the respective end device.

• Installation of the required certificates for VPN/eduroam/WLAN use.

• Stable internet connection.

To use the VPN service, you must log in with your UniAccount. After installing the Cisco Secure VPN Client and setting up the connection, access to the internal IT services is enabled. It is important that the certificate verification of the device is not deactivated.

No training courses are currently offered.

The VPN connection ensures encrypted and secure data transmission between the end device and the university network. Its use is subject to the data protection regulations of the University of Kassel.

The use of the Cisco Secure VPN Client is subject to the IT usage regulations of the University of Kassel. The software is provided under the license conditions of Cisco.