Many business owners will have heard of a VPN but may not have taken much notice of it. However, with cybersecurity and the protection of data becoming ever more critical, it’s a subject that is getting harder to ignore.
A VPN, or virtual private network, masks the online activity of a user, or a group of users like a set of employees. Without being too technical, it means the IP address of the user is disguised and rerouted through one of the VPN providers host servers, sprinkled around the world. All data is encrypted in the process. Such blanket protection makes it virtually impossible for criminals to hack a network and gain access to information.
There was a time when larger-sized companies would issue VPN “keys” for staff access to the company network because all data was kept on site. However, with the advent of cloud storage, staff need VPN protection on their own networks, primarily if they work from home, so that information they access from the cloud remains inaccessible to hackers.
The importance of researching a reliable and fast service is evident for businesses in today’s digital world. When it comes to speed in our opinion this is one of the fastest VPN services available in the market.
Here are the four key reasons a medium or small business should never ignore the cybersecurity threat.
Security Protocols
While you may think you have no data worthy of serious protection, and you are not linking remote workers with your own data storage at HQ, it is almost certain that staff will be accessing cloud-based centers on your behalf.
They may, for example, use Dropbox to store files, Microsoft 365, or similar apps for day-today functions like email or document creation, or even cloud-based accountancy software and access to stored customer data.
Any time a member of staff accesses one of these sites from home, using their private network like home WiFi, they are potentially open to savvy cyber attackers. Before you know it, what your member of staff can see, so too can the hacker. A good VPN service will prevent this.
Remote Access to Core Central files
While you may have staff operating from your office, all using the same VPN service, your remote workers will not be under equal protection. They might log in to your secure central network remotely, but the connection between their home office and your core system is not protected. That is a vulnerability a cute hacker can exploit, and another critical reason for remote staff to have a VPN at home, or for when they are on the road.
Access the Internet Worldwide
You have all heard of internet browsing restrictions in certain “authoritarian” countries. In China and Vladimir Putin’s Russia, for example, users searching the internet may find access to some services blocked by the Government.
Without a VPN, the network and target site knows you are in a restricted territory and prevents access. If you have staff who travel abroad on business, this can cause severe issues, as they may not find access to the online services they need.
Using a VPN service, users can select a country server that fools websites into believing that is where the user is sitting. Of course, in some circumstances, accessing some sites from certain countries may not be legal, so discretion is recommended.
Value for Money
If you get the three leading privacy and protection reasons to sort out a VPN service for your business, then the fourth may be something of a surprise, and it comes down to cost.
When you consider the fortune that a data breach or becoming the victim of a hacker could cost your business, then the relatively small cost of a VPN service is a great deal.
Private consumers can have a VPN installed on all their devices, from their cell to their laptop or tablets, for only a few dollars a month.
Small or medium-sized businesses will pay a little more because more people need to be signed up, but the cost per person is usually lower. All good VPN services will have a business licensing plan for staff, which offers coverage for a limited number of employees at a set price. More staff can be added at an extra cost.
With these four important reasons for businesses to use a VPN, there is little excuse to delay. One thing is for sure, a company owner like you will not want to feel the pain and loss of reputation of suffering some sort of data breach.
Interesting Related Article: “Why Having a Business VPN Matters”