How VPN Help Organizations to Strengthen Cybersecurity
A VPN creates an encrypted connection between your device and the remote private network.
With a higher reliance on technology comes greater difficulty in keeping business information safe. There are millions of identity theft cases reported to businesses annually. According to the identity theft resource center, “Utilizing VPN's can drastically reduce those numbers, and I believe more and more people will understand that in the years to come.” It significantly reduces the risk of security breaches and cyber attacks as well.
Why VPNs are important for your business?
A VPN creates an encrypted connection between your device and the remote private network. This means that only computers and networks with a special key can decode the information. It's a cost-effective solution and viable way of securing your data. In addition to enhanced security, you're able to access remotely, share files, and maintain online anonymity.
VPNs offer total privacy to roam the Internet freely without being tracked, monitored or having data collected and stored. VPN networks are designed to encrypt information before it goes through a network, thwarting potential attacks and making online purchases safer. Your Internet activity cannot be tracked by anyone seeking to monitor websites you visit, see what you download, or monitor whether you use services such as Skype or other applications. With a VPN your origin IP is hidden from potential hackers and identity thieves.
The increase in Cyber Attacks to Small Businesses
Businesses are the prime targets of hackers as businesses are becoming more vulnerable to hacking, losing private information, and even taking financial hits. According to this study, “43 percent of cyber attacks aim for small companies“. VPNs are important to use because a hacker can potentially “see” your employee’s login information on an unsecured network. For instance, when your employees log in to their bank account, the hacker may be able to record their information and even take money from their account.
The VPN became popular to protect the mobile worker. As soon as corporations had mobile employees, VPNs became a mainstay. Now, more and more Internet of Things (IoT) devices will connect to risky networks. It is far simpler for hackers to simply access devices through unsecured networks. Your information could be compromised, or your device could get infected and crash, wiping out all of your files. A hacker might even threaten to wipe out your files if you don’t pay a ransom. The bottom line is that anything is possible when using an unsecured network, but VPNs can end all these concerns.
Are free VPNs good for businesses?
Most people know virtual private networks (VPNs) are the best way to remotely connect to the office or a sneaky way around streaming media. But, sadly the P doesn't always stand for Private: some free VPNs providers don’t protect traffic or even encrypt data.
Most businesses have a low budget, and because of the financial burdens, they go for a free solution. We should know the fact that there is no such thing in the world that is free on the internet. If we are getting something free, this could be because we are giving something to this greedy world.
It's best to avoid free VPN's because your information might not be as secure as you think. Free services have to pay for their overhead costs somehow, and free VPN providers usually come in the form of selling your browsing activity to third parties for advertising purposes. This means your data isn't 100% private, and your web experience can be riddled with ads, have bottlenecked bandwidth speeds, lack data encryption, and even have monthly capped data usages. In the case of VPN's, the old saying rings true - you get what you pay for.
In comparison, paid VPNs are far more robust than free VPNs, and they tend to be less vulnerable to outages and meltdowns. A paid service will protect user interests and sensitive data at much higher speeds, whereas a free service could outsource to a third party to write its code, monitor systems, and operate servers. About IP addresses, a paid service will usually provide an unlimited amount of choices, where a free service will have limitations. If you're paying for a good quality VPN, you can get 256-bit data encryption, compared to a free VPN which is likely to only have 128-bit encryption. Also, a paid service will likely not have restrictions on how much data you can use. A free service usually has data quotas which you can't surpass. Lastly, a paid VPN has a much greater probability of providing excellent customer service by answering questions quickly and solving problems efficiently.
Best Paid VPNs for Businesses
There are hundreds of VPNs in the market but according to my personal experience, I tested few VPNs that are listed below, and all of them are good for businesses.
- ExpressVPN
- PureVPN
- IvacyVPN
- NordVPN
- VPN Unlimited
- VyprVPN
- Private Internet Access VPN
- TorGuard VPN
- AnchorFree
- CyberGhost
What are some benefits of masking your business’ identity on the internet?
There are many benefits; few of them are listed below:
Snoops can't intercept traffic when you're on an insecure network. Well, technically they can intercept it but they'll see only garbage. Good for you, bad for the snoops.
Your Internet Service provider (ISP) won't be able to track your company’s movements online.
Even the government will have a harder time tailing you. Now, I'm not saying you should hide from Uncle Sam, but hey you never know when you might need a VPN!
Sites that would normally recognize you, like your bank won't be able to. As a result, they'll ask you to authenticate yourself.
In a Nutshell
Cybersecurity can be nerve-wracking for anyone, particularly to small businesses who may seem vulnerable. Some businesses out there may have already failed their business goals with security leak. When this happens, it can be traumatizing not just for the company owner but to the staff as well. This is why companies must take time to beef up their online privacy.