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What is a VPN?

A virtual private network or VPN can be broadly defined as an Internet security service designed to provide its users with privacy. A VPN works by creating an encrypted connection between endpoints like user devices and one (or several) servers scattered throughout the world. VPNs help companies and individuals cloak their devices and activities from prying eyes as they use the company’s internal network or the Internet. This is particularly useful for companies that need to regularly give remote employees access to their internal network, applications and data. Using a VPN service, a business can also easily create a single shared network that connects multiple office locations. The VPN service acts as a shield for the company web traffic (including proprietary and sensitive business information) as it encrypts data end-to-end and effectively protects it from the open internet and the threats and risks associated with it. To know more about enterprise VPN services and how these can you improve your productivity along with security, please refer to IT Support Joplin.

Top Reasons Why Your Business Should Use a VPN Service

Guaranteed peace of mind with better security

Using a VPN service is one of the most popular methods to protect online privacy and ensure safety when anyone wants to connect to the internet. It helps to hide sensitive information such as IP address, location, passwords, and data from anyone trying to intercept or eavesdrop on the communication. A VPN creates a secure tunnel for all your communication lines to go through from your device to intended destinations and secures the network or other resources you may access while connected to the internet. This also applies for transferring data between web or mobile apps meant for data storage, productivity and collaboration such as Dropbox, the G Suite of office tools or Office 365. A VPN service should ideally be used in conjunction with a host of other security measures in order to truly protect enterprise data and let employees securely access the company network and resources. By cloaking all enterprise activity from potential hackers, companies enable an extra layer of security on top of other considerable security measures.

Encrypt your important data

The best part about using a VPN service is that it automatically encrypts all data sent from your device to destination servers. This kind of privacy can be extremely useful when the user is trying to security information exchanges such as making financial transactions on banking or e-commerce apps. While Banking apps do use their own encryption and security measures, using a VPN can prevent hackers from even attempting to steal your data. This also applies for telecommunication apps as a VPN also uses encryption for voice and video chat data. This can prevent data leaks from happening during long business calls and meetings on Zoom, Skype or Google Meet as a VPN can actively prevent unauthorised users from hopping in and recording chats without permission.

Security guaranteed even while using public WiFi

Public WiFi hotspots can be extremely tempting for employees to use when they are on the go. However, public Wi-Fi comes riddled with a variety of security threats that can easily compromise the integrity of enterprise networks and data. When you are using public Wi-Fi, even if you log on using authentication measures such as user credentials, your activity remains visible to other users using the same network. This makes it very easy for hackers to intercept communications or eavesdrop on them to try and steal information. In such situations, a VPN service can literally save your bacon by hiding your online activity and rendering it immune to interception thanks to end-to-end encryption.

Cheaper to maintain

Security measures may be critical for companies to implement, but they don’t come cheap. A VPN service, on the other hand, comes with very low deployment and maintenance costs. For companies, it makes a lot of sense to invest in VPNs as a single subscription/ license is enough for many users to operate on. For the most value-laden, economical VPN packages for your local business, consider reaching out to IT Consulting Joplin.

Secure multiple devices

Nearly all paid VPNs offer multiple simultaneous connections for individual users. This enables users to stay protected irrespective of the device that they are currently using allowing for more flexibility. You could even configure your VPN to stay always on, so you don’t have to remember to switch it on for individual devices.

Safer remote work

One of the primary advantages of using a VPN service is that you can empower your employees to connect to the company network whenever and wherever. With an encrypted VPN connection, your staff get the ability to be productive on the go, improving flexibility and productivity while protecting your network and data assets. This is particularly relevant for businesses that have decided to remain remote even as the pandemic has subsided. VPN can also help companies to have more granular levels of control over identity and access management to file sharing that further strengthens security. Managed IT Services Joplin explains exactly how to configure access control in a VPN service to prevent data leaks.