Personal use of VPNs has been on the rise for years, but businesses have been somewhat slow to adopt VPN software. Whether it’s because they feel less vulnerable to cyber attacks, believe that VPNs are an expense they can do without, or just don’t understand why they need them, many companies have neglected this component of Internet security. But, with cyber attacks becoming more prevalent all the time, all businesses should be using a VPN. Let’s look at some reasons why.
Improved Security
As mentioned, improved security is the main reason why businesses of all sizes should be using a VPN to connect to the Internet. Even if your company doesn’t need some of the more advanced features of a VPN like remote access provisioning or site-to-site tunneling, you still need to take steps to protect your data. It’s likely that you keep at least some of your sensitive data in the cloud and without a VPN, that data can be accessed by anyone with even a hint of hacking knowledge.
Additionally, if you have employees accessing files remotely, and what company doesn’t these days, you don’t want them logging onto your company’s network using an unsecured public WiFi connection. This would easily allow anyone to access data on your website, whether you’re keeping them in Google Docs or another storage provider with stronger security features.
Remote Access
In the past, if employees needed to access files away from the office, they would need a VPN that would allow them to log into the data center from a remote location. Now, though, most companies don’t have any use for a data center because they use cloud computing. Software can be accessed from anywhere without a VPN, which leaves your data vulnerable. A business VPN can be programmed to allow secure remote access to only authorized users and can keep track of who logs on and when to prevent unauthorized use.
Geographical Freedom
When you have employees that can work from anywhere in the world through the magic of remote accessibility, you’re going to run into situations where they are unable to access certain sites because of restrictions in other countries. They might be blocked from accessing company software or resources, which can severely hinder their ability to work. A VPN will mask your employees’ IP addresses so that they can continue to work on the Internet as if they were in the US, even if they’re physically located elsewhere.
Budget Friendly
Since you don’t have to invest in tons of hardware to make VPN service available to everyone in your company, you’ll save a lot of money in IT expenses. Plus, you’ll be protecting yourself against costly data breaches as well. And you probably don’t want to think about how much it would cost you to pay hackers a ransom to regain access to stolen data. The question, therefore, really isn’t can you afford VPN services, but can you afford not to have the security offered by a VPN?
Conclusion
No company is immune to cyber attacks and hackers are actually discovering that small businesses are easier to exploit than large companies with massive IT departments. Don’t fall victim to these unscrupulous characters. Get your business the security of a VPN today.
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