If you want your business to remain competitive in the modern marketplace, you must have a reliable and secure internet connection. No matter what industry you’re in, your employees rely on high-speed internet for virtually every daily task, especially since the outbreak of the pandemic. While some of this internet usage occurs internally, much of it happens remotely.
Whether your employees are processing a customer payment, obtaining bids on a new project, or emailing documents to a loyal business partner, they need a secure connection to perform these tasks safely. Without one, your business will be vulnerable to cyberattacks or data breaches.
Fortunately, you can provide your employees with the secure access they need through a business VPN. While you may have heard the phrase before, you may not be sure what a business VPN is or why your company needs it. Below, we discuss business VPN information and data, including what they are and how they can benefit your business.
What Is a Business VPN?
A VPN, or virtual private network, is any technology or private network that encrypts and transmits data while it travels from one place to another online. Basically, a VPN provides your employees with an encrypted internet connection so the data they’re working with is not interceptable. It facilitates secure communication between your devices and various servers and can connect your employees to your internal network or to the World Wide Web.
Traditionally, most companies rely on firewalls and other built-in restrictions to protect their data. While this approach is extremely effective when employees are in the office or on the job site, it does little good for protecting remote-access personnel.
A business VPN is able to protect remote employees, too, so they may safely send and receive information with a mitigated risk of a breach. A VPN prevents confidential web traffic and proprietary data from being sent on the open web.
Why Should You Use a Business VPN?
As noted above, business VPNs provide you and your employees with a means to safely access company files remotely. A VPN provides remote employees with an encrypted connection and allows them to access mission-critical files and other information associated with strategic business processes from anywhere without exposing your data.
Facilitating remote workers is not the only reason that your business should use a VPN, though. A business VPN is also important because it:
Provides Access Control
Access control simply means that you are limiting who can view and/or share your data. A business VPN will serve as a gatekeeper of sorts. It will verify users by examining their digital credentials. If an unauthorized person attempts to access files, the VPN will block them and protect your data.
VPNs will also ensure that the right employees have enough access to obtain essential files. These networks will help eliminate access-related productivity delays, which will benefit your company’s bottom line.
Access control is at the heart of any cybersecurity protocol. When a business VPN is used in conjunction with other proven measures, you can ensure that your data is safe.
Improves Cybersecurity
Having a cybersecurity plan in place is a must. Without it, your company could lose thousands, if not millions of dollars from a single cyberattack. A business VPN will help protect your data from being altered or stolen.
Many companies assume a breach will never happen to them. Do not make this mistake! Virtually any industry that stores or handles client data is a potential target for hackers, and the results can be catastrophic. According to Digital Guardian, the average cost of a single data breach in the U.S. during the year 2019 was $8.19 million.
Can you really afford to risk that kind of financial damage? If not, then you need a business VPN.
Benefits of a Business VPN
In addition to the topics covered above, there are many other benefits to having a business VPN. For starters, VPNs are incredibly affordable, especially when compared to the cost of a major data breach. Some other benefits include:
Low Maintenance and Setup Fees
Business VPNs are incredibly appealing because they are easy to set up. A skilled IT team can get your VPN up and running in a single day. They will not cost you much to upkeep either; on the contrary, business VPNs require minimal maintenance and perform flawlessly with the occasional update.
Customizable Accessibility
Business VPNs will ensure that the right employees can access the right files. Unlike firewalls and other measures that indiscriminately block webpages, business VPNs make it possible to customize each employee’s accessibility settings based on their assignment and job requirements.
Safe Public Access
A high-quality business VPN will allow your employees to safely access public sites, not just internal servers. This allows them to conduct research, review potential partners, and much more.
Must-Have VPN Features
Business VPNs can drastically improve the capabilities of your employees. However, not all VPNs are created equal. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, ensure that your business VPN has these key features:
Multiple Server Locations
A VPN works by creating an encrypted access point for your employees. It does this by connecting the user’s device with the VPN’s own server. While an employee will only use one server at a time, a good VPN should have multiple server locations. The VPN provider should have a good coverage area across multiple geographical locations.
Router Support
You should also look for a business VPN with router support. This means that you can install the VPN onto your office’s router instead of onto each individual device. All of the connected devices at your brick-and-mortar location will reap the benefits of VPN protection.
Reasonable Pricing
As with anything in the IT world, you get what you pay for. With that said, business VPNs are one of the most affordable security solutions for your company. A good VPN will not take a huge chunk out of your budget as it does not require much maintenance by the provider.
Mobile Apps
Every VPN will have a desktop application, but not all networks offer mobile apps. When searching for a business VPN, ensure that they offer a high-quality mobile app so your employees can use your company access code and utilize the app when working on the go.
IT Services Group
In sum, business VPNs are a must if you want to thrive in the digital marketplace. A good business VPN will improve security, boost employee productivity, and protect confidential client data.
If you need business VPN services for your company, ITSG can help. We provide cutting edge solutions such as:
- – Cloud integration
- – Backup failsafe
- – App development
- – Hosted VOIP phone systems
- – Business VPN
Our experts can revolutionize the way your team interacts with the World Wide Web. To get started, contact us today and let us know which services you are interested in.
