Your network is configured to allow select business partners access to resources on your internal network through virtual private network (VPN) connections. What is this an example of?

This scenario is an example of an extranet because it describes a network configuration that provides access to specific external users, such as business partners, while allowing them to access resources on an internal network through a secure connection like a VPN. An extranet extends part of a company’s internal network to authorized external users, enabling collaboration and resource sharing with select outside entities.

In this context, the use of a VPN enhances security by creating a secure tunnel for data transmission, ensuring that sensitive information remains protected while being shared with external partners. This level of access differentiates an extranet from an intranet, which is restricted to internal users only, and also from a local area network (LAN), which is a network that connects computers primarily in a limited geographic area, such as a single building. A firewall, on the other hand, is a security device that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules and does not directly relate to the external access provided in this scenario.