VPN in Layman’s Terms & Why It’s Vital to Use One While Working Remotely

Millions of company networks may be at increased risk right now due to the unexpected transition to having their employees work from home during the coronavirus outbreak.

Businesses that worked hard to get a secure technology infrastructure in place at their office, now find it fractured. Employees working remotely are often on a mix of personal devices and connecting to the office through less secure home networks.

There are a number of dangers when connecting to cloud platforms, office computers and servers through a home network. These include:

·      Consumer routers typically have fewer security safeguards than business routers 

·      Home networks often have multiple higher risk devices sharing them (doorbell cameras, teen’s gaming computers, etc.). 

·      Hackers are targeting home networks due to so many employees being sent home to work during the COVID-19 emergency.

Routers and smart security cameras make up 90% of hacked IoT devices.

One of the best ways to make sure your company’s data security remains strong when employees on home networks are connecting to company assets is to use a virtual private network (VPN).

Business VPN’s Explained

Using a VPN adds an important layer of security to the data transmitted over an internet connection. Instead of connecting directly from your computer through your network to the internet, the VPN is acting as a middleman. 

·      Normal Internet connection: Your device > Internet

·      VPN Internet connection: Your device > VPN server > Internet

Why add the VPN middleman? Because it encrypts your communications, protecting them from being compromised by a hacker who has broken into a home network. A VPN also secures your online session if you’re connected to a free public Wi-Fi.

The “private” part of the virtual private network is the fact that your IP address is kept private.

Normally when you’re connecting to the internet, the sites you visit will read your IP address, which roughly identifies your location. The IP address will typically be assigned by your internet service provider. 

When using a VPN, you’re given a choice of servers to use to connect to the internet. The IP address of that VPN server is the one that websites see, not your personal home IP address.

How Do Employees Use a VPN?

Using a VPN is simple for employees. First, the company signs up for a business VPN account with a trusted provider. Then they can assign employee devices to their VPN account. 

Employees simply download the VPN application onto the devices they use for work. Sign in with their company account details and turn the VPN on. 

This will automatically direct their internet connection through the secure VPN server, so their data transmissions are encrypted and protected.

Advantages of Using a Business VPN

There are several advantages for businesses that use VPNs, both during this pandemic, and anytime.

Keeps All Connections Secure

It’s not generally possible for a business to control every network that remote or mobile employees are using to connect to business apps and data. A VPN gives them blanket coverage for all connections, despite the security level of their current wireless connection.

Business VPNs use enterprise-level encryption to keep hackers from being able to intercept data transmissions.

Additional Web Protection through DNS Filtering

Most business VPNs include critical DNS filtering to help combat phishing attacks. DNS filtering looks at the URLs that a user is visiting and checks for malicious sites before directing your browser. 

This is an important protection against phishing emails that use hyperlinks directing users to sites that download malicious code on their device as soon as the page is loaded. DNS filtering can block those malicious web pages. 

Servers Designed to Improve Speed 

VPN providers use multiple servers placed throughout the world to offer the lowest latency (lag time) and best speeds that they can for online connections. Users can be routed through the best VPN for them based upon their location.

The speed comes from the fact that some VPN servers can translate domain addresses faster than home ISP’s. This results in faster connections to cloud applications and when browsing online. 

Protect Your Cloud Business Apps

You can connect a business VPN to your cloud apps – Office 365, Salesforce, etc. – to create a secure access point that keeps unauthorized users from accessing your cloud data.

This secure access point then allows you to control which users can access which cloud applications. The VPN also allows you to monitor cloud access traffic, which can help you spot any strange behavior that may suggest an attempted attack.

Easy to Deploy 

It’s quick and easy to deploy a VPN throughout your organization to protect all your employee connections at once. Accounts can be set up in minutes and all employees need to do is download the app, sign in, and turn it on.

That blanket of protection is critical when you have the dual risk of multiple remote workers and hackers trying to take advantage of them.

Need Help Getting Started with a Business VPN?

You can focus on running your business and BrainStomp will ensure your operations and remote workers stay secure. 

Contact us today to get set up with a secure VPN! Call 260-918-3548 or reach out online.