What Is A Business VPN? Advantages and Why Your Business Needs One

Untitled design (6)-Aug-24-2023-04-48-36-5319-PM

Updated June 1, 2022

With cyber attacks becoming more frequent for small businesses, along with new privacy scandals from social media and and hacker states, data privacy has never been more important for any company.

One of the best ways to protect online privact is with a Virtual Private Network, or VPN.

Are you familiar with VPNs? If not, you should be.

A VPN is a virtual private network that creates a secure, encrypted connection over the internet between your device and a VPN server.

This connection allows you to safely transmit data from your device to the VPN server and vice versa.

VPNs are commonly used by businesses to protect their data and improve security, but they can also be used by individuals for personal privacy and security.

If you're not already using a VPN, you should consider doing so, especially if you frequently use public Wi-Fi networks or engage in online activities that could put your personal information at risk.

In this article, we'll discuss what VPNs are, how they work, and why your business needs one.

 

What is a VPN? 

A VPN provides privacy and online anonymity for your business by establishing an encrypted connection between your network, its devices, and any internet connection.

Essentially, the VPN acts as your own private tunnel that you (ie. your devices) traffic can travel through to a server (ie. The Internet).

Untitled design (5)-Aug-24-2023-04-48-47-2518-PM

While using the Internet, a VPN protects your network information and hides your IP address and data from prying eyes, rendering online browsing activities virtually untraceable. It also provides greater privacy than the most secure Wi-Fi hotspots, allowing remote work to be conducted safely and securely.

Every VPN has a different method to encrypt the data, called VPN protocols.

Are you looking for a way to increase privacy and online anonymity for your business?

Then you need a VPN. It should be at the top of your list for cyber security measures this year.

 


What Are The Benefits of Using A VPN For My Business?

VPN services are essential to keeping your valuable business data - and the valuable data of your clients – out of the hands of cybercriminals.

Other reasons to invest in a reputable (ie. not a free VPN) VPN service for your SMB include:

1. Protect your business information from prying eyes

Large or small, most businesses rely on cloud-based resources (data and business applications), and the employment of travelling or remote workers.

Companies with remote workforces are increase by the day - according to Apollo Technical, 92% of workers expect to work from home at least 1 day per week.

In either scenario, a VPN creates a secure connection between resources – without having to invest in additional routing hardware.

 

2. Your employees can do remote work, securely

Speaking of travelling and remote workers, a secure VPN means your employees can work from just about anywhere, securely.

Having the flexibility to access important applications and data from any location can increase employee productivity without sacrificing your organization’s safety.

See our previous post: 4 Ways GAM Tech Keeps Your Remote Data Secure

 

3. Faster network speeds

In some cases, a VPN can result in the improved performance of your network.

Did you know that some internet service providers (ISPs) are known to control online traffic by reducing company bandwidth? This results in slower network speeds!

Disguising your IP address may serve to protect your SMB from ISP initiated slowdowns.

 

4. Employees can safely share files, anywhere

Many VPNs come equipped with security settings, enabling business owners to restrict employee access to specific files.

A VPN will also allow employees to enjoy secure file sharing, regardless of their location.

 

5. Protection from cyber criminals

When it comes to data breaches, recent studies have shown it costs the average Canadian organization between $4.8 and $5.8 million to respond to and recover from cybersecurity incidents annually.

Breaches alone can cost organizations $150 per record to retrieve compromised information. At an average of only $10 per team member, per month, a VPN service is an affordable investment by comparison.

A VPN is a perfect compliment to any network security plans your business may have.

LEARN MORE: 6 Common Network Security Threats For Your Business

 

How Do VPN Protocols Work?

VPN protocols are the methods by which your device connects to a VPN server. There are a variety of different VPN protocols, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

The most common VPN protocols are PPTP, L2TP, and OpenVPN. PPTP is the oldest and most basic protocol, but it's also the least secure. L2TP is more secure than PPTP, but less secure than OpenVPN.

OpenVPN is the most secure protocol, but it can be more difficult to set up than the other two protocols.

When choosing a VPN protocol, you should consider the level of security you need, the ease of setup, and the compatibility of your devices.

If you're looking for more information, read our blog in which we go into much more detail to cover the different types of VPN protocols.

 

How Do I Choose the Right VPN For My Business? 

When it comes to selecting the right VPN for your SMB’s unique needs, be sure to consider the following:

  • Connection Logging - Will you require VPN logging for auditing purposes?

  • Activity Management - Do you need to control and monitor your internet traffic? Do you need to restrict your employees’ online activities? What about business network access?

  • Tracking – Depending on their privacy policy, your VPN provider may offer more affordable pricing in exchange for selling your data – be sure to find out beforehand.

  • Central Management - Will you be relying on your VPN provider to manage encryption keys, or would you prefer to do it yourself?

BONUS:

You’ll also want to choose a VPN with an outstanding reputation and proven track record for supplying top-notch services and support to SMBs. 

 

Which is the best VPN?

At GAM Tech, we tend to keep things agnostic, instead of selling you what our vendors want us to sell. Our goal is always to do what's best for your business.

To start you on your journey to finding out which VPN is the best for you here is a list of Canada’s Best VPN Services for 2022, according to privacy experts:

Businesses need a VPN to keep their data safe.

A VPN creates a secure, encrypted connection over the internet between your device and a VPN server.

This connection allows you to safely transmit data from your device to the VPN server and vice versa.

VPNs are commonly used by businesses to protect their data and improve security, but they can also be used by individuals for personal privacy and security.

If you're not already using a VPN, you should consider doing so, especially if you frequently use public Wi-Fi networks or engage in online activities that could put your most important information at risk.

 

 

In conclusion

Now that you know what a VPN is and why your business needs one, it's time to take action.

There are many great VPN providers out there, so do your research and find the one that best meets the needs of your business.

Once you've selected a provider, be sure to follow their instructions for setting up the VPN on your devices.

It may take some time to get everything set up correctly, but once you're up and running, you'll appreciate the peace of mind that comes with knowing your data is safe and secure.



GAM Tech provides Managed IT Services, VoIP services, and Technology Consulting for businesses across southern Alberta and in Ontario. Whether it's extra security for your wired and wireless networks, compliance support for today’s stringent regulatory mandates, or you want to gain the benefits of Systems Virtualization – GAM Tech provides this and more for an affordable price. For more information, we invite you to book your Free Consultation today. 

Sources: NortonPCMagNerdsonsite

 

New call-to-action

Posted by Adrian Ghira on Apr 26, 2020 8:38:52 AM

Topics: business, security, data, SMB, VPN

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Recent Posts