(ISC)2 Certified in Cybersecurity Practice Exam

Split Tunnel VPNs are designed to optimize network performance and security by allowing users to access both the corporate network and the public internet simultaneously. In this setup, only traffic that is specifically destined for the corporate network is routed through the VPN tunnel, while all other traffic—such as general web browsing or accessing online services—is directed straight to the internet without going through the VPN. This approach helps in reducing the load on the VPN connection, improves speed for non-corporate traffic, and maintains a level of security for sensitive corporate data being transmitted.

The ability to customize which traffic goes through the VPN while allowing other internet activities to bypass it is a defining feature of split tunneling. This configuration can be beneficial in scenarios where bandwidth is limited or where there is a need to access public resources without the latency that can sometimes accompany VPN connections.