Why We’re Moving from VPN to VPC for Our AWS Products

In our efforts to modernize our infrastructure, we’re transitioning from using a traditional Virtual Private Network (VPN) to leveraging AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) for hosting our products. This change is motivated by several factors:

  • Ease of Access: By utilizing VPCs in combination with AWS’s access management tools, we can provide our team with secure and seamless access to our resources without the need for third-party VPN solutions.
  • Cost Optimization: Eliminating the need to purchase and maintain third-party VPN products helps us reduce costs.
  • Modernized Approach: A VPC allows us to create isolated, secure networking environments for our applications while leveraging AWS-native solutions for connectivity and security.

By using a VPC, we can design a networking architecture tailored to our needs, enabling secure access through alternatives such as AWS Client VPN, bastion hosts, or IAM-based controls, rather than relying on traditional VPN methods. This shift empowers our team and streamlines our infrastructure.


What is an Amazon VPC?

An Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) is essentially your own private “network” within the AWS cloud. Think of it like having your own private office space in a large business park (AWS). You control who gets in, who gets out, how the hallways (subnets and route tables) are laid out, and what the security checks look like.

Key Characteristics:

  1. Isolated environment – It’s logically isolated from other customers’ AWS networks.
  2. Customizable IP addressing – You choose your IP address range (for example, 10.0.0.0/16).
  3. Subnet creation – You can divide your VPC into smaller networks called subnets.
  4. Routing control – You manage traffic flow with route tables and gateways.
  5. Security management – You secure resources with Security Groups and Network ACLs.