Is using Web Access, containing HTTP EasyControl, VNC EasyControl, RDP StationAccess, SSH StationAccess, and RTSP LiveView, as secure as using VPN?

HTTP Easycontrol, VNC EasyControl, RDP StationAccess, SSH StationAccess, and RTSP LiveView in the IXON Cloud can be used without first establishing a VPN connection. The connection from your computer to the machine consists of an encrypted HTTPS connection from your computer to the IXON Cloud and an encrypted VPN connection from the IXON Cloud to the edge gateway. Using Web Access is therefore just as secure as using VPN.

This works as follows:

1. You click on an HTTP, VNC, RDP, SSH, or RTSP service button in the IXON Cloud, which requests a unique URL from our API.
2. This triggers our service proxy to establish an HTTP(S), VNC, RDP, SSH, or RTSP connection to your PLC, HMI, PC, or IP camera via the secure VPN connection already established between the edge gateway and one of our VPN servers.
3. The response from the PLC's local HTTP server, HMI's VNC server, PC's RDP server, station's SSH server, or IP camera's RTSP server then follows the same route back over the VPN connection to the service proxy.
4. At the service proxy the connection is converted to a secure HTTPS connection.
5. The result will be displayed in your browser.

The URL you see in your browser cannot be used by anyone who does not have access. If you open the URL on a different computer, access will be checked again with our API. If you don't have access, you won't be able to use the HTTP, VNC, RDP, SSH, or RTSP service.

For more information on our security, see our Trust Center.