Why Your Business Needs a VPN for Protection and Privacy

Nowadays, most businesses need an online presence to reach their customers and maintain effective communication. However, the world wide web is filled with various digital threats that can negatively affect anyone lacking proper protection. This includes online businesses and everyday users alike.

Using a laptop computer – illustrative photo. Image credit: Kaitlyn Baker via Unsplash, free license

Thankfully, there’s an all-in-one solution that will keep your online activities utterly secure against most attacks. It’s called a VPN (Virtual Private Network) service, and it’s an essential cybersecurity component for any successful business. Read on to learn how it works and what benefits it provides.

What is a VPN?

First, let’s briefly cover how VPNs work. This introduction will help you understand the main security benefits of these products. Plus, you’ll have an easier time picking the most secure VPN service for your business needs once you know what makes them tick.

In short, a virtual private network service allows you to reroute your connection through an intermediary encrypted server in another country. This simple process hides your actual whereabouts and IP address, making it appear that you’re located wherever the VPN server is. Additionally, encryption makes it impossible for malicious hackers and other unwelcome snoopers to intercept or monitor your activities.

Unsurprisingly, the best VPNs on the market include other cybersecurity tools. For example, you’ll need ad-blocking features to prevent virus-laden advertisements from interfering with your activities. Furthermore, they can block various online trackers, malware-distributing web domains, and even viruses. 

Many are rightfully concerned about VPNs reducing download speeds. After all, adding an extra connection point between you and the internet inevitably slows down connectivity. However, the impact is minimal if the provider uses modern, efficient tunneling protocols like WireGuard. Plus, the distance between you and the server also plays a massive role in determining connection speed.

How a VPN benefits online businesses

Now for a more detailed overview of how VPNs benefit online businesses. 

• Absolute privacy. Any employee that enables a VPN will enjoy complete privacy from ISPs (Internet Service Providers), public Wi-Fi network administrators, and other potential onlookers. No one will know your actual location, identity, or activities. 

• Secure access to online resources anywhere. Making online business resources exclusive to employees is paramount to prevent unauthorized access from malicious actors. At the same time, they should be reachable anywhere to allow working remotely. You can do so by making the resources available only to a handful of IP addresses, which are granted when connecting to the company VPN service. 

• Protection against digital threats. A VPN tunnel makes you safer against many online threats, such as man-in-the-middle, DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service), and phishing attacks. However, keep in mind that you’re not 100% protected, and there’s still the risk of human error.

Ultimately, a virtual private network is essential to ensure top-notch security for employees and the company as a whole. However, don’t forget that cybersecurity training and knowing the best practices also play a huge role in staying safe online.

How to pick a secure VPN?

The VPN market is jam-packed with service options for businesses and everyday users. However, finding the best overall choice can be challenging if you don’t know what telltale signs to look for. But no need to worry because we have a list of recommended criteria to pay special attention to when picking a VPN for any use case.

• Server network. Ensure your VPN service has thousands of servers worldwide with numerous foreign IP addresses. It’s essential if you want excellent performance and access to as much exclusive content as possible.

• Tunneling protocols. VPN tunneling protocols influence connection speeds and overall security, so make sure your provider uses top-of-the-line technology, such as WireGuard, OpenVPN, or a proprietary implementation.

• No-logs policy. You can enjoy total confidentiality if the VPN provider doesn’t store any customer activity logs. You can be certain that’s the case if it conducts various independent audits of its infrastructure.

• Available bonus features. Not all VPN services include bonus security features against ads, trackers, and viruses. Consider your threat model carefully and pick a provider with a well-rounded cybersecurity package.

• Price. The most expensive services aren’t necessarily the best. At the very least, you should opt for providers that offer free trials and money-back guarantees. These perks give you a chance to back out if your needs aren’t fulfilled. 

• Customer support options. It would be wise to purchase a VPN that offers 24/7 customer support for quick problem resolution at any time of the day. 

Conclusion

A solid VPN is essential to business cybersecurity because it encrypts team members’ activities and makes intercepting or monitoring their connections impossible. Furthermore, having access to the same pool of IP addresses anywhere makes it possible to exclude company resources from unauthorized visitors. And don’t also forget to train your employees about the best cybersecurity practices because no tool can prevent human error.