What is Putty
From putty.org:
PuTTY is an SSH and telnet client, developed originally by Simon Tatham for the Windows platform. PuTTY is open source software that is available with source code and is developed and supported by a group of volunteers.
Supported Operating Systems
Available for Windows and Mac.
VPN requirement
Connection to campus VPN is not required.
Downloading and Installing Putty
UA faculty and students can download and install Putty using this link: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html