In recent years, VPNs have grown in popularity for many businesses. With many VPN features providing certain cyber-security and data protection benefits, it has become a popular option for businesses to incorporate into their online strategy. As workplaces are consistently dealing with sensitive data including files and personal information, VPNs can offer some added protection to help keep things more secure.
With more and more businesses using VPNs, it’s important to know the basics of what they do and how they work. Take a look at the below to see the top things to know about VPNs:
The basics of VPNs
What is a VPN?
A VPN encrypts internet activity. This means that when a VPN is installed, what you search for online becomes hidden from the Internet Service Provider. Data that is sent or received gets encrypted which can protect against certain cyber-attacks.
Why do businesses use VPNs
A lot of VPNs prevent the location of the user from being tracked which keeps online activity encrypted and private. In this way, businesses use VPNs to help keep their data more secure. They can also allow staff to access secure files away from the work environment, typically using a shared network.
What protection do they offer
Some VPNs can help protect against common cyber-attacks and security threats through the hiding of personal data. As well as this, some VPNs can also provide ad-blockers or features to protect against malicious websites. Despite this protection, there is often no guarantee around these areas and people can still find themselves victim to viruses, which is why businesses should also keep themselves protected with additional security software.
What is compromised?
If your business has already put other security filters in place for your Internet Service Provider then a VPN may bypass these. Some VPNs include a feature that allows certain websites to be added where the VPN is inactive but this is usually a manual process.
What should I use?
There are many options available for what VPN to use for a business. Many of them often range in quality, price and trustworthiness as well as what features they provide. It is important to research what each VPN offers before considering them further.
Want to know more about VPNs?
A lot of businesses will use VPNs as part of their online set up. If you want to know more about VPNs and what advantages and disadvantages there are, why not take a look at the SWGfL resource Everything You Need to Know About VPNs to find out more. There’s information on filtering as well as guidance on what some of the most popular VPNs offer.
If you would like additional security support and guidance you can also visit Edtesa Secure, to discover more about training, software and data protection!
