Companies around the world are adapting to improve the quality of work for their employees. Some are investing in their offices, acquiring better computers, desks, and chairs to make the environment more productive and welcoming. Others are hiring services that help with the security and productivity of their internal team. And then there are those that are venturing into remote work.
Remote work or working from home is a reality that companies are facing for various reasons. Whether it's to reduce costs associated with employee commuting or to avoid expenses related to equipment in the physical office space, or to be able to hire highly sought-after professionals who often live in another state or country, there are also reasons beyond their control, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where employees are forced to work from home to avoid contagion.
Whatever the reason for remote work, to keep businesses running smoothly, it's important that they are all prepared with tools that can assist in communication, task management, security, and information mobility. In the article " Coronavirus: tips on tools to keep your business running ," we listed 15 tools to help with remote work.
Problems with remote work
In conversations with several IT managers and analysts, we realized that the main concerns in a remote work strategy are information security and access to internal company resources .
If an employee is accessing the internet from home or a public place (airport, restaurant, events), we know that there isn't the same level of security against cyberattacks as there is on the company network. Because of this lack of security, all data transmitted by the employee could be spied on or even hijacked in a dreaded ransomware .
phishing attacks have increased. No global event escapes being used as a theme for malicious phishing campaigns. In the case of the coronavirus, fear and the ongoing need for information about COVID-19 lead users to click on malicious links or open infected files.
In the UK alone, it is estimated that scams exploiting the coronavirus have already cost £800,000 in February alone.
Another worrying problem is access to the company's internal resources. The article on tips for remote work tools suggests using Google Drive or Dropbox box share documents in the cloud so all employees can access them. However, many organizations have ERP systems, file servers, and other systems that only work on the company's internal infrastructure. These organizations need to find a way to provide secure and controlled remote access to these resources so that employees working from home can work.
One alternative that many companies are using for remote access is RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol), which directly connects remote users to networks and servers. However, despite this solution being effective for this purpose, it is a constant target of intrusion attempts aimed at deploying ransomware that blocks and seizes data. The FBI has already issued an alert regarding the large wave of attacks on the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). The alert even mentions the existence on the black market of lists of servers vulnerable to intrusion , which have unrestricted access to the standard Remote Desktop port (3389).
To solve these problems related to internet access security and access to internal company network resources by remote users, many IT managers and analysts are adopting Corporate VPNs .
Advantages of a Corporate VPN
I'm not going to explain what a VPN is and how it works, as we've already written about that in another article . But you've probably heard of or even used a virtual private network (VPN) to access content available only in one location in the world, such as a movie or game, or even to have more privacy while browsing the web.
And in your company, has the use of this technology as a tool to improve employee safety and mobility been considered?
Let's now look at some advantages of a Corporate VPN from the perspective of the employee working remotely, as well as from the perspective of the IT manager or analyst.
For the employee working remotely.
- Cost reduction related to travel.
- Access to files and documents located on the company's local infrastructure.
- Access your company computer via remote desktop.
- Access to the ERP system installed on the company's local infrastructure.
For IT managers and analysts
- Determines which employees are allowed remote access via VPN.
- No need to spend money on expensive solutions to make resources available in the cloud.
- Increased security of company information.
- Increased employee productivity in home office settings.
- Reducing expenses related to damages and losses from a potential breach of confidential data.
4 Corporate VPN Options
1. NordVPN
NordVPN, which is headquartered in Panama, is one of the most popular names in the market.
Its large number of servers spread across the world and vast range of features consolidate it as one of the main options for large companies.
Pricing starts at $11.95/month for one user and up to 6 devices simultaneously .
2. ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN also stands out as a good alternative due to its many included features. It's considered the fastest VPN on the market.
The cost to sign up for ExpressVPN is $12.95/month for one user and up to 5 devices simultaneously .
3. Perimeter 81
Developed by SaferVPN, Perimeter 81 is easy to set up and impresses with its user-friendly interface.
Perimeter's starter plan is $50/month for up to 5 users .
4. Lumiun Business VPN
Another alternative is the Business VPN which is integrated with the Lumiun service.
Among the previous alternatives, it is the only Brazilian solution, with 100% support in Portuguese and that accepts payments in the local currency (R$).
A Business VPN is a great solution specifically for small and medium-sized businesses, allowing them to offer their employees secure remote access and monitor security threats.
A major advantage of Lumiun's Business VPN compared to other corporate VPN solutions is that it applies the same internet access protection and monitoring rules to employees working remotely from home as exist on the company's internal network. This maintains the internet usage policy , aiming to improve information security and employee productivity.
The Business VPN is already included in the Enterprise plan which starts at R$140/month, with unlimited users and up to 10 simultaneous devices . When subscribing to the Enterprise plan, in addition to the Business VPN, the client also receives the Lumiun Box , which offers complete control over internet access within the company, traffic control, a firewall, and many other features.
ATTENTION: Due to the increase in suspected cases of COVID-19, many companies are changing their routines to reduce the chances of contagion. Some companies have canceled in-person external services, others have adopted work-from-home policies, others are rotating employees between shifts, and many are still maintaining normal standards.
To help with this adaptation scenario, Lumiun is offering Business VPN on all plans, for current and new customers, at no additional cost for 90 days.
With this, you can currently have a corporate VPN for your company and all the other features that Lumiun offers for R$ 97/month for up to 10 simultaneous devices .
Learn more on the special page about COVID-19 .
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