What is a VPN and What Does it Do for Company Devices?
Summary: Is VPN secure, what is a VPN and what does it do, and what to look for in a VPN NYC.
Do Small Businesses Need a VPN?
Hackers have increasingly breached the data of thousands of small and midsized businesses (SMBs). Additionally, remote access work has given hackers new vulnerable endpoints through which to breach SMB networks. As a result, many layers of cybersecurity are now required to ensure your data is safe. Whether employees are working from home or traveling, businesses must do all they can to reduce the risk when data is accessed beyond the walls of their office.
What Is a VPN? Is VPN Secure?
A VPN (virtual private network) is an anonymous network within your network. Here's how it works:
- Your Internet data is encrypted and sent to a VPN server
- Your IP address, identity and location are instantly hidden by the VPN server and replaced by a VPN IP address that might be located in another city or another country
- Upon receiving your data traffic, the VPN server further encrypts your data, creating a secure and practically invisible virtual private network
- Wherever your employees are working, at home, in a train station on a mountaintop, anywhere they can connect to a WiFi signal, they can hide their online activities by logging in to their secure VPN. It is their own private "internet tunnel," allowing them to access your company's private network safely and incognito. All data traffic is encrypted when sent and decrypted when received. Cybercriminals attempting to break into the VPN "tunnel" will not be able to decipher the data and will only see gibberish
Q: What is a VPN and how does it help small businesses?
A: A virtual private network (VPN) creates a secure, encrypted connection between a user’s device and the business network over the internet. For small businesses, VPNs help protect sensitive data, allow employees to access internal systems remotely, and reduce the risk of cybercriminals intercepting communications or stealing confidential information.
Does Your Smartphone Need a VPN?
VPNs are all about mobility. An unprotected smartphone (or any connected device) is an invitation to a cyberattack. The privacy and security benefits afforded by a VPN remove much of the risk associated with remote work. Your VPN's virtual anonymity hides your location, IP address, identity, and all your online activities. Also, employees can share files with confidence, knowing that their data is secure.
Many users now use their smartphones and tablets as minicomputers on the go, performing banking, eCommerce, research, and other activities. Beyond the obvious security benefits of a VPN, other novel features include:
- Backdoor Pass – Because a VPN disguises your location and identity, you can access restricted websites, filters, firewalls, and links, while traveling in countries with website restrictions. Your VPN offers users many blacked-out events and discounts, which might be restricted in other countries. The process is entirely legal, and no one can track the user's online activities. For example, your server might show a "vpn nyc," although you are actually connecting from a hotel lobby in London
- Secure Streaming – VPN security will not allow anyone to access a user's browsing or streaming history
- Affordability – A remote-access VPN is cost-effective, especially considering the strong layer of cybersecurity they afford. VPNs significantly reduce the risk to SMB network data accessed remotely. This factor is particularly important for high compliance companies such as medical and legal practices. Knowing that your network is secure when accessed remotely is well worth the expense
Q: Why should small businesses use a VPN for remote work?
A: A VPN allows employees to securely connect to company systems when working remotely or traveling. It encrypts internet traffic, making it difficult for hackers to intercept sensitive data on public or home networks. This helps small businesses maintain productivity while protecting files, applications, and internal communications.
VPN PCase Study
The sales manager of a small New Jersey device manufacturing company was waiting for his flight at the airport. The flight was delayed, so he went to a business lounge to relax and work while waiting. The manager didn't give much thought to the security issues related to using the lounge's public WiFi. After all, it was a small airport, and his company had a low profile. So why would anyone try to hack him?
In the course of his work, he forwarded, via email, proprietary sales projections and internal updates about new products in the company's R&D pipeline. Unbeknownst to him, a local hacker, waiting for anyone to log on to the airport’s public WiFi, was alerted to the sales manager's insecure connection and was ready to intercept and hack into it. Much of the proprietary information was leaked to the industry press one month later. Also, several of the company's competitors announced new projects, suspiciously like the new products detailed in the manager's hacked email. One mistake cost the company much of its competitive edge, and the sales manager lost his job.
Q: What should small businesses look for when choosing a VPN?
A: Small businesses should look for strong encryption, reliable performance, and easy management when choosing a VPN. Features like multifactor authentication support, user access controls, and compatibility with existing devices are important. A reputable provider with clear security practices and good technical support can also help maintain long-term protection.
VPNs for Companies
Is VPN secure? Yes, and with cybercrime increasing, small businesses shouldn’t wait for a cyberattack to address their network's cyber defenses. Each new device added to a network creates a potentially vulnerable endpoint. Every device you add to your business network widens the target landscape for hackers. Cybersecurity experts can provide a thorough cyber risk analysis of your entire system and network to ensure you have appropriate protections in place. A secure VPN is just one of the many layers required to reduce the risk of cyberattacks.
Reach out if you’re looking for a VPN NYC provider or contact a small business IT security expert near you to ask, “What is a VPN and what does it do?” A professional cybersecurity firm will provide the answer to this common question and many others. Provide the tools and training employees need to keep company data secure before a costly data breach wipes out years of effort.