The U.S. Coast Guard is deploying Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) based on 3Com's wide area network (WAN) systems). 3Com, which secures, high speed communications between shore facilities and vessels docked at port facilities around the world, uses VPN connections. These connections allow the agency to quickly transmit mission-critical and pertinent administrative information from its land-based location to ships at any port where Coast Guard vessel dock. The process, which was first utilized in June on the cutter Dependable, will soon be branched out to all of the Coast Guard's 250-plus vessels. Based on 3Com's SuperStack II NetBuilder SI routers…