The University of Chicago virtual private network (cVPN) provides faculty, students, and staff with secure access to University network resources as if you were on campus, no matter where you are in the world. cVPN is used to remotely access resources that are not available from off-campus locations. These resources include file shares, remote desktop access (RDP/SSH/etc), and other campus-only resources. If you are unsure about whether or not you need to use cVPN, check with your local support or contact IT Services before installing the software.
Note: In the near future, remote access to workstations will not be accessible from off-campus unless you are connecting via cVPN. This is also true regarding accessing University resources. However, some resources, including library resources, may be accessible via the University's web proxy. For more information on the web proxy, see Web Proxies in Plain Speak.
For additional information, refer to VPN FAQs.