A virtual private network provides a secure connection when transmitting data between a server and a device – smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer. Business VPN works on the principle of end-to-end encryption of transmitted data, which makes it inaccessible to third parties. To prevent the loss of confidential information, you only need to find a reliable provider – click here.
Types of VPNs
There are two basic types of business VPNs – remote access and network-to-network. In the first case, the employee connects to the corporate network with the help of VPN-client software. The user can start a secure session from anywhere in the world – it’s enough to activate the VPN client. The network-to-network variant means the creation of shared secure space within the office. Employees can connect to the corporate network at any time. However, access to corporate information resources becomes impossible if the employee leaves the office.
How the corporate world uses VPN
The use of the Internet for rapid data transfer is constantly increasing. At the same time the number of cyber-attacks increases. Many cybercriminals try to gain access to confidential company information, which contains trade secrets, financial reports, development strategies, and other important information. Some publications cite figures such as 1.5 million cyber attacks in 2022, twice as many as in 2021.
Virtual Private Network effectively resists intruder attempts to hack into the system, thus reducing the risk of confidential data loss. Virtual private networking works by restricting access from unauthorized devices. Two-factor or multi-factor authentication handles the task of restricting access even if the employee’s device is lost or stolen.
Another important benefit of a VPN is increased employee productivity. Thanks to the virtual private network, an employee can securely connect to the company’s corporate information resources, such as databases and applications, from anywhere in the world. A high level of security is maintained even when connecting via a public Wi-Fi network. With a VPN, an employee can perform his or her job duties while on a business trip, at a conference, seminar, or on a trip. When and for what purpose it’s beneficial to use a VPN:
- The presence in the company of employees who work remotely.
- Geographical independence and increased productivity of employees
- Increased security when transmitting sensitive data over the Internet.
- Effective protection against cyber-attacks.
- Tracking of employee activity on the Internet.
- Limit employee access to social networking sites and potentially dangerous sites that may contain malicious software.
Another important advantage of VPN, which will be appreciated by companies with a large number of employees is the possibility of centralized access control. The head of the company can organize multi-level access to the company’s information resources according to the position and status of employees. For example, some employees can only view documents, while others have the editing option. Using the control panel, you can delete and add users who are allowed access to corporate databases and working applications. This option is useful when you want to give temporary access to an employee or delete an employee who quit.
A virtual private network forms a secure communication tunnel within the Internet. The data that is transmitted through the tunnel is inaccessible to prying eyes. Most business owners have no doubts about whether to use a virtual private network to protect sensitive data. The main issue is finding a reliable provider that updates the software in a timely manner and provides prompt, adequate technical support.
The role of VPNs in the corporate world
In recent years, corporate executives have paid increased attention to cybersecurity measures. Today’s virtual private network presents many useful tools that protect sensitive data from loss and contribute to business success. How a VPN can improve business operations:
- Increased security. All data transmitted over the corporate network is encrypted. Encryption is based on modern cryptographic protocols. Encrypted traffic is unreadable by unauthorized persons. Multifactor authentication allows us to clearly define the circle of persons who are allowed access to certain information resources.
- Ability to hire and use employees from other cities and countries. Thanks to VPN connection to the corporate network from anywhere in the world will be safe and secure even if the employee uses public Wi-Fi.
- Restrict access from unauthorized devices. Databases and applications can only be accessed from whitelisted IP addresses. Even if employees are spread across the globe, they can use a common set of IP addresses to log in seamlessly, including in the cloud.
- Ability to connect securely to the corporate network during business trips, and meetings with customers, partners, and suppliers. This option is especially important when visiting countries whose governments support a policy of spying on large corporations and individuals. A virtual private network will protect you from attacks by government-sponsored hackers.
- Increased productivity. If employees can stay connected and access the corporate network securely at all times, they work better on team tasks. Effective communication (instant messaging, access to CRM and collaboration apps) allows you to quickly troubleshoot potential problems and make objective, well-rounded decisions.
- Search engine ranking and the work of marketers. Search engines take a user’s location into account when ranking sites in their results. For example, a user who lives in New York will get different results compared to a user from London who sent the same query. Many search engines work on this principle, including Google, Yahoo, and Bing. If a company’s marketer wants to find out relevant information on key queries, this can be a problem without using a VPN. Search results will be tailored to his location rather than the geographic areas of the business. A virtual private network allows you to choose servers located in different countries. As a result, marketing staff will have up-to-date and reliable information for every region they need.
The virtual private network will be an effective tool as part of product quality testing. With a VPN, QA employees can control parameters such as priority products, preferred payment, and delivery methods, for different regions. International corporations focus on end consumers in different countries. Potential buyers are differentiated not only by different languages of communication but also by other parameters such as mentality, and compliance requirements (quality level of products and services). With a VPN you can effectively test the success of a product in different markets.
To ensure that the VPN service works smoothly, it is important to find a reliable provider. The main selection criteria are 24-hour technical support, traffic speed and uptime, and scalability (the ability to increase the number of employees with access to corporate resources). Also important are such parameters as support for different devices (smartphone, laptop, computer), and ease of operation (user-friendly interface).
Originally posted 2022-10-13 11:51:37.
