You've probably heard of or even used a virtual private network (VPN) to make your internet access more secure. But has your company considered using this technology as a tool to improve employee security and mobility?
In this article, we'll explain what a VPN is, how this technology works, some examples of its use, and the advantages and benefits it offers for corporate environments.
What is a VPN?
The acronym VPN stands for Virtual Private Network . It's a networking technology that uses the internet to connect a group of computers and maintain the security of data traveling between them.
In a typical scenario, when you connect to the internet and browse websites, download materials, and send documents via email, your device is identified by its IP address, and much of your data (excluding the most sensitive data) travels openly, potentially being intercepted by providers or malicious software. With a private network, the data is encrypted, protecting the user and making them less easily identifiable.
This technology is used primarily by people who want to ensure browsing privacy and access restricted content in their country. However, companies worldwide are discovering how to leverage VPNs to enhance the security of their data and remote work.
How does a VPN work?
Similar to a firewall that protects the information on your computer, a VPN protects your data online. VPNs can be used for both remote access, connecting a computer to a network, and site-to-site, connecting two networks.
When browsing the internet without a VPN, you connect to your ISP's (Internet Service Provider) server, which in turn connects you to the website of your choice. This means that all your internet traffic activity passes through the provider, and they may or may not monitor your actions. However, when you browse through a VPN, your traffic uses an encrypted "tunnel." This means it is not accessible to anyone other than you and the VPN server.
Examples of VPN uses
By itself, a VPN only helps increase data security and access resources on a network you're not physically connected to. However, here are some examples of how a typical user typically uses it:
- Employee: Uses the company-provided VPN when at home or traveling to access resources on the local network;
- Downloading: To prevent a company from blacklisting them for downloading torrents, this user uses a VPN to stay safe while using peer-to-peer networks;
- To maintain privacy: This type of user always believes that what they send or receive is being read. Therefore, to ensure secure and encrypted communication, away from prying eyes, this profile uses a VPN connection;
- Traveler: Services like Netflix and Amazon Prime offer different content for each country, based on their language and customs. Therefore, these travelers use a VPN connection to their home country to access their favorite content.
If you don't identify with any of the examples above, remember that it's not the user profile that makes using a VPN useful, but rather their needs. For example, we could mention your participation in an event or workshop, where everyone uses the same public network to connect to the internet. This is a situation we consider to pose a high risk of traffic interception. Have you ever imagined someone intercepting your professional email passwords?
Advantages and benefits of VPN for businesses
The use of VPNs in corporate environments is proving to be a good opportunity for IT managers concerned with security, productivity, and cost reduction.
Information security
The main advantage for a company using VPN is undoubtedly the increased information security when there is a need to transfer confidential data between branches or for employees who work remotely and need to access data on the local network.
Cost reduction
The investment required to provide a VPN connection for your company is very low when you consider the costs associated with damages and losses that a leak of confidential data can cause. Just to give you an idea, in 2019 Brazil lost more than R$ 80 billion to cyberattacks.
Increased productivity
The peace of mind to work without worrying about so many security issues allows employees to focus only on what matters, consequently increasing their productivity . For this reason, VPNs can be a great ally in corporate environments.
Mobility
With a VPN, a company can provide secure access to internal network resources, such as documents or software, to any employee or client from anywhere in the world. This mobility benefit allows us to demonstrate the aforementioned advantages such as security, reduced travel costs, and increased productivity.
To conclude
I hope this article has helped you understand how VPNs work and how they can be useful for your business. There's also a wealth of information that can complement your research on this topic. However, it's clear that this technology is becoming increasingly necessary in today's world, where security and productivity issues are a priority.
The problem now is that there are many VPN solutions for businesses, each with its own features and price points. Want to know which one is right for you? That's what I'll cover in the next article.
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