With working remotely becoming the new normal, IT departments must re-evaluate their choice of remote connection options. Time and again IT leaders have implemented multifactor authentication (MFA) and considered a zero-trust approach, now it is time they determine how a virtual private network (VPN) adjusts into the overall security plan.
A VPN creates a private, secure connection between your ethernet connected devices. The VPN is responsible for providing a requisite layer of security when connecting to a company network. Every user who works remotely for a company that has a corporate network must use a VPN. A VPN provides two basic services: hiding a user’s IP address and encrypting data between two points. It also offers three key benefits namely:
- Protects user’s identity
- Ensures secure transfer data and information
- Avoids third parties from impeding the communication
It is not a bad idea to use a VPN for personal communications either.
Let us look at some tips to consider when choosing the best VPN provider.
Determine if you are primarily connecting VPN to the cloud or your home network
If a user intends to use a VPN service for their home or office network, they are going to need a small server or best a firewall as a VPN endpoint. Not all consumer firewalls provide this functionality. However, there are programs that you can run on both Macs and PCs to provide VPN connectivity.
Ensure the VPN provider has capacity
When it comes to using a VPN for a business, the last thing a user would want is bandwidth throttling or dropped connections due to consuming too much data. Before choosing a VPN service, carefully read through the terms of service to verify how much data the provider allows and if it meets operational needs before the business gets throttled.
Choose a VPN that offers secure communication
VPNs can be secure, based on which security protocol it uses. There was a time when Point-to-Point Tunneling was sought-after, but now it is considered insecure. Look for service providers who offer L2TP/ IPsec and OpenVPN. OpenVPN is an industry-standard, yet many smartphones do not support it. For connecting via PC or Mac, use OpenVPN. The best VPN service providers offer both.
A big NO to free VPN services
It does not matter if a business is small or large free VPN services might seem alluring but should be avoided. VPN service providers need to make money off somewhere, and if it is not from their users, it will be from their users’ data. Avoid free VPNs at any cost.
Pick a VPN service that can protect your privacy
VPNs provide people access to websites anonymously, protecting their identities from those who might attack or discriminate against them because of who or where they are. Choose a VPN service that does not keep traffic logs, operates servers in countries outside the reach of oppressive authorities, and has a strict privacy policy.
As an added convenience, find a VPN that provides real-time push notifications so that employees who disregard the rules, even unintentionally, can be recognized and stopped. Also, consider user experience when picking the best VPN.
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