A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is the appropriate technology for this scenario. A VPN creates a secure, encrypted tunnel over a public network (the internet) to a private network (the town hall's server). This allows the town clerk's remote computer to securely connect to the town hall's network and access resources, such as documents on a server, as if the computer were physically present in the office. It provides both security through encryption and the necessary network access to internal resources from a remote location.

A. VNC (Virtual Network Computing) is a graphical desktop-sharing system used to remotely control another computer's screen, keyboard, and mouse, not for general network resource access.

B. RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) is similar to VNC; it provides remote access to the desktop of a specific computer but does not grant broad network access to file servers.

D. SSH (Secure Shell) provides a secure command-line interface for remote administration of a server but is not the standard tool for accessing shared document folders.

1. Microsoft. (2021, September 20). What is VPN?. Windows Server Documentation. (Defines a VPN as a technology that "extends a private network across a public network" and enables users to "send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network.")

2. Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute. (2001). Home Network Security. CERT Coordination Center. Section: "Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)". (Describes VPNs as a method to "securely connect to a remote network through the Internet.")

3. Cisco. (n.d.). What Is a VPN?. Cisco Documentation. (Explains that a VPN "gives you online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection.")