Business VPN, For companies, data is increasingly important and must be protected.
But how can you be sure that this valuable information is safe when a colleague accesses the corporate network from a branch office? Or when one of your collaborators works from their home PC or from a smartphone connected to a public WiFi network?
One of the most valuable services for companies that want to protect their data from the dangers of the web is the VPN (Virtual Private Network).
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A good corporate Business VPN protects against cyber attacks.
The vulnerability of internet networks is confirmed by the frequency of cyber attacks, data breaches, and other problems related to cyber security. From 2017 to today, severe cyber attacks have increased by 66% and have caused damage globally for 3,400 billion euros, twice the Italian GDP (Source: Clusit 2021 Report).
Protecting yourself is possible.
The VPN is a ” virtual private network ” that allows you to connect remotely to the corporate network securely from any device.
The boom in VPN activations in recent years is linked to the increasingly frequent use of smart working. The dangers to security increase when you connect from unprotected external networks or with hotspots.
But the importance of a good business-grade VPN is not limited to that.
What is a business VPN, and why is it important to activate it?
The VPN connects a single PC or an entire LAN (Local Area Network) of a company office to another office of the same Customer or to the outside. In practice, what happens, for example, between a bank and its customers (who can safely access certain information as external), between car dealers and parent companies, and between accountants and revenue agencies.
The term virtual refers to computers being not physically connected like in a Local Area Network (LAN). The VPN uses another physical infrastructure provided by the provider, on which the so-called VPN tunnel is created.
Within this virtual tunnel, participants authorized to a session can exchange information made invisible to the outside thanks to encryption and authentication systems.
A professional VPN service, therefore, brings significant benefits to companies.
- guarantees the security, integrity, and authenticity of private information even if it is transmitted over the public network
- allows secure access to remote workers, branches, customers, and suppliers
- it allows you to create an easily scalable corporate network (for example, by adding or deleting users) with low connectivity costs
- avoids access by unauthorized users to your network
- Checks the origin of the transmitted data and ensures that the data have not been modified during transmission.
Choosing the right Business VPN provider is important for security, privacy, performance, and support reasons. Here are five essential points to consider.
Security and privacy: choosing the right provider
Without a VPN, data travels over the Internet in the clear and, therefore, can be easily intercepted by hackers and criminals.
The Business VPN guarantees private information security, integrity, and authenticity, even if it is transmitted over the public network.
Outgoing data from a VPN PC is encrypted and sent to the provider’s secure servers. The systems of cryptography and encapsulation transform all the data sent and received in an incomprehensible language from the outside.
Even if someone gets their hands on the data, they can’t read it.
When you use a VPN, the request to access online resources also comes from an IP address other than yours, that of the provider. This makes it even more difficult to break into your network and steal your data.
However, you need to choose a reliable VPN provider when it comes to security.
Choosing free services from unknown providers exposes you to various security risks: your data may also be protected from external threats, but who ensures that the provider will use it?
And in the event of a cyber attack on the provider, what could happen to your data?
The VPN servers that provide the services must be protected in secure, redundant, and reliable Data Centers with strict data protection measures and IT security systems that prevent external attacks or traffic blocks.
On this point, further clarification is essential. The Business VPN does not offer the complete protection of an antivirus. However, companies should take protective measures against ransomware, Trojans, and other malware that infected sites, files, messages, or devices could spread within the corporate network. The VPN is a great barrier to external threats, but security must also be protected within the network.
Unassailable protection by design
Who takes care of the creation of the VPN with all the related security systems and its constant updating? Companies can follow two paths.
Some companies prefer to activate the VPN on their own devices with public IP addresses.
In this case, the installation and maintenance of the VPNs are entirely in the hands of the company.
The simplest solution is to rely completely on the provider.
The service is provided as a service; it is turnkey and does not require any internal expertise. The operator can provide a complete package (installation of the firewall, network monitoring, and resolution of any problems) and guarantee the quality of service (QoS), also for voice and, in general, for business services (e.g., ERP, videoconferencing, etc. ).
For maximum security, connections can be made on private IP address and therefore are, by design, unassailable from the outside.
Speed and security with the right protocol
When it comes to VPNs, it’s impossible to ignore the importance of the protocol.
As we have already said, the VPN establishes a secure tunnel through which data traffic can pass. A protocol is a way this tunnel is built, using transmission systems and encryption standards.
The ultimate goal is to reach the provider’s VPN servers safely and quickly.
Each protocol has its own characteristics: some improve speed, and others are more suitable for those who prefer privacy and data security.
The best known and most used protocols include MPLS, GRE, L2TP, and IPsec Hardware Accelerated.
A professional provider offering dedicated support can help the company identify the protocol that best suits its needs.
Safe surfing with guaranteed performance
Many are wondering if a VPN can affect the performance of data connections.
In some cases, the answer is yes. If you are using a free VPN service or provided by an OTT provider, you cannot rely on high-performance network connections.
Relying on a professional service provided by the same provider provides us with connectivity allows us to overcome this problem.
In this case, the Customer’s information travels only on the operator’s network, not on the Internet, so I can take advantage of better network performance in terms of latency, the number of hops, and packet loss. The operator’s network also offers guarantees on the continuity and quality of the service.
The same thing also happens for Cloud services.
Simplify your work with fast and reliable assistance
If you choose a free VPN and then have a problem, who answers you if you need assistance?
Installing and managing a VPN isn’t always easy, especially for companies that don’t have an internal IT department.
And even for the more structured companies, managing the activation of VPN connections of secondary offices, collaborators, or suppliers who access the company network from outside, is an activity that takes up time and resources.
The question of assistance in case of breakdowns or problems weighs heavily on the scale: what are the response times and levels of assistance guaranteed by your provider?
Choosing a structured supplier dedicated to companies allows you to count on prompt and rapid assistance that lightens the work of the IT department during installation or updating and is decisive in the event of breakdowns.
Also Read : What Is The Cloud Computing, And Why Is It Essential For Your Company?
