Open-source implementation of IPsec VPN software for Linux, offering tunneling, authentication, and encryption for secure site-to-site and remote access VPNs.
Openswan is a free software implementation of the Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) protocol that can be used to build secure virtual private networks (VPNs). It runs on Linux operating systems.
Openswan implements the standards for authentication, encryption and tunneling set out in the IPsec protocol, allowing the user to establish secure VPN tunnels between endpoints over the public Internet. This can be used to connect remote clients to a private network (remote access VPN) or to connect multiple sites or networks through VPN gateways (site-to-site VPN).
As an open source solution, Openswan is developed and maintained by a community of developers and users. It aims to be fully interoperable with other IPsec implementations and works across most Linux distributions. Key features include:
Openswan delivers a flexible, transparent and standards-compliant VPN solution through open source collaboration. It presents an alternative to both proprietary commercial IPsec products and kernel-based IPsec implementations in Linux.