resolves HAS 17

### 4.4.1 Physical environment

The cybersecurity requirements of the present document apply under the environmental profile for operation of the equipment, which shall be in accordance with its intended use. The equipment shall comply with all the cybersecurity requirements of the present document at all times when operating within the boundary limits of the operational environmental profile defined by its intended use.

The cybersecurity requirements of the present document apply under the environmental profile for operation of the equipment, which are be in accordance with its intended use. The present clause lays out the operating boundary limits of the operational environmental profile defined by its intended use.

The physical hardware the VPN product is using may be:

### 4.4.2 Digital environment

VPNs can be expected to operate in a network environment alongside other Important PwDEs such as Identity Access Management, Network Interfaces, Routers, Firewalls, and SIEM systems. Manufacturers shall harden VPN attack surfaces against potential attack vectors from compromised PwDEs, but in particular those considered Important and Critical. See clause 4.5 for further information about the relationship between VPNs and related software.

VPNs can be expected to operate in a network environment alongside other Important PwDEs such as Identity Access Management, Network Interfaces, Routers, Firewalls, and SIEM systems. Manufacturers are expected to harden VPN attack surfaces against potential attack vectors from compromised PwDEs, but in particular those considered Important and Critical. See clause 4.5 for further information about the relationship between VPNs and related software.

A VPN requires an existing physical or virtual network whose resources it can use. The underlying network provides the functions necessary to connect to at least one node of the VPN.