An intranet is a network built on TCP/IP protocols, whose usage is limited to members of a specific organization. The technology for an intranet is similar to that of the global Internet. The difference is, on an intranet various type of authentication, access control, or encryption are used to maintain a degree of data privacy. When remote access to an intranet is required, virtual private networks (VPN) are commonly deployed.
Intranet compares also with extranet. Intranets are directed to members of a single organization. Extranets are directed to one or more partner organizations. The use of security tools is similar for intranets and extranets.