A virtual private network (also known as a VPN) is something that more and more businesses are using, especially now while most of the workforce is now working from home. As a means of encrypting data while it is in transit, the use of a VPN enables you to transmit assorted types of data more safely. Of course, not all VPNs are the same, and so you need to be careful to select the right solution for your needs.

Let’s go over a few considerations you should keep in mind.

Why Do I Need a VPN?

Look at it this way: in a normal situation, how often do you find yourself accessing the Internet as you’re out and about--more specifically, checking on business matters and sending and receiving business data? Any time you do so (or otherwise access the Internet) your data is susceptible to being spied on and/or intercepted on its way to its destination. 

Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic currently in place, we’re far from a normal situation. Now it is more important than ever to give your workforce a secure way to access company data.

This should make the importance of a VPN to businesses of all sizes only too apparent.

What to Look for in a Business VPN

There are fundamental differences between a VPN designed for consumer use and one designated for a business. A personal-use VPN allows your selection process to be boiled down into what is pretty much a simple value-based decision: which option gives me the protection and speed for the best price? Personal VPNs tend to protect home users from being tracked online. It’s yet another layer of protection, but they aren’t really designed for business.

However, a business has different needs than an individual user, the primary one being the fact that the end-user isn’t necessarily the one who should be controlling the VPN’s use.

To address this exact issue, business VPNs are designed to allow for centralized management, something that consumer-focused VPNs do not. With a business VPN, you have the power to make sure each user is protected by the VPN in a simple way.

Additionally, different types of VPNs exist to fulfill different needs. There are remote access VPNs, which are the better-known variety that preserves privacy and protects data while it’s in transit. There are also site-to-site VPNs, which allow users working on different networks to access resources from the others’. This is particularly handy in large businesses with multiple locations, as they allow data to be shared between locations conveniently and without any risk to security.

This has just been a brief introduction to the VPN-selection process. If you’re serious about putting one into place, or even if you just want to learn more about them, reach out to 415 IT. Our team can help evaluate your situation and recommend the best course of action for you, as well as help you fulfill your business’ IT needs. Call us at (415) 295-4898 today.