and landline facilities, the likeli- hood of congestion and dropped packets increases. Avoiding Congestion on IP VPNs The most common points of congestion in IP VPNs are the access lines connect- ing organizations to the Internet and points in the Internet where carriers connect their networks together. In addition to monitoring and upgrading access circuits, where possible, organizations lease Internet access from the same provider at all of their sites to limit the number of connections between their carrier and other carriers. This is not possible in remote and international areas where the primary carrier does not provide coverage. SECURING TRANSMISSIONS SENT VIA THE INTERNET Most organizations deploy their Internet Protocol Virtual Private Networks (IP VPNs) for remote access as well as site-to-site links. When used for remote access, IP VPNs enable employees who are traveling or working from home to remotely access e-mail messages, place orders, check order status, and check inventory levels from the road and from home computers. With the growth of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Securing Transmissions Sent via the Internet some employees also receive phone calls directed to their office extensions on their laptops or mobile smartphones. Because the Internet is open to users from all over the world, organizations deploy security software designed to protect transmissions sent over the Internet. The security software is also used for IP VPNs and MPLS networks that link sites together. Secure Access to IP VPNs Improvements in security software have led to advances in creating safe remote access procedures. These improvements encompass ease of use as well as protection from hackers. However, seemingly as quickly as security software improves, hackers find vulnerabilities and develop new ways to break into systems. Customers and developers find they must remain vigilant and diligently update their security software for protec- tion against new viruses and types of attacks. Security protocols designed for I