It's no secret that literally each and every business these days is reliant on the internet. Between corporate websites, eCommerce, emailing customers, VoIP, and cloud software applications, having broadband access can be as vital to business operations as having electricity and water.
The issue arises that while internet is available from your ISP, the unfiltered, public internet can be a haven for cybercrime - and that can threaten a business’ existence entirely.
Think your business is safe and attacks are not happening to you? Well, it is more common than you may think, with estimated $2.7 billion costs of cybercrime during 2018 on a worldwide basis. Unfortunately, cybercrime has also been on the rise year after year. While it can certainly be random, there are also cases where competing businesses engage in cybercrime with the intention of stealing proprietary information, or sabotaging a competitor.
A comprehensive approach to protecting from these threats while online is needed. This includes antivirus software, updates to software, and also a VPN, or Virtual Private Network. A VPN is a way of creating an encrypted tunnel connection between the user, and the server for the VPN. This can then function to keep the business’ activities safe online.
Business VPNs have several tricks up their sleeves for online users wanting extra security - and we've explained five of them below.
Anonymized connections
The first is that the IP address gets anonymized. Many users do not realize that any website that they visit tracks which users go to the site. With a VPN, this gets anonymized, and users are not tracked as the IP address will go back to the provider's server, and not the individual users.
Encrypted tunnels
The second method that makes a business more secure online with a VPN is the encrypted tunnel that is created. This way, data that gets sent back and forth between the user and the VPN provider gets encrypted, which in most cases is at 256-bits, which is secure enough for top secret communiques at the highest governmental levels.
Removes dangers of public Wi-Fi
A third method that makes the business more secure with a VPN is that the users are not on the public internet, and rather on a private network. This allows for additional monitoring, as opposed to the 'Wild West’ that is referred to as the public internet.
On a VPN, the provider will keep malware off (so not quite like antivirus does, but extra protection all the same), block phishing effects, and even block those pesky popup ads that can keep reappearing like a game of whack-a-mole reducing employee’s productivity.
Safer remote access
The fourth way a VPN is an important business tool is for remote workers that need to access to company resources. These workers can connect from anywhere to the company servers via their remote access VPN, and access online software for work purposes.
It is hardly safe to allow just anyone to dial in, as a company server will quickly become a malware target. Rather, with a corporate VPN, remote workers can connect directly through the VPN, keeping data secure, and controlling the access to the online resources.
Block access to certain websites
The final way to increase business online security is by filtering the user’s access. This way, a server administrator has the option to restrict or block access for users.
This important step is critical to keeping employees from surfing over to malicious sites that are likely to spread malware to the unsuspecting.
Read more:
- Skip to the chase - grab the very best VPN in the world right now
- Improve your online security with the best business antivirus software
- VPN meaning: go back to basics with our explainer
