The IT security company is one of the first to enhance its software – seen on its Security Gateway system – to support secure remote access from the iPad.

The move is interesting, as the iPad enhancement is being offered on Astaro's pay-for professional edition, as well as on the Essential Firewall and Home Use editions, both of which are available free of charge.

If you're interested in the technical aspects, the Security Gateway is billed as supporting PPTP, L2TP and IPSec VPN connections – and Astaro says that iPad users can hook up their tablet computers without having to buy any additional apps or networking equipment.

Gert Hansen, Astaro's vice president, said that the iPad has achieved massive sales numbers and shows strong consumer demand for this type of device.

"Businesses will have to face the issue of how employees can securely use it for business tasks while on the road", he said.

"Connecting to the network with the Astaro Security Gateway means employees can securely access their resources via the iPad. This feature is not reserved to Astaro [paying] customers as it is also included in the Essential Firewall edition that is free for business use", he added.