Users recently became confused regarding VPNs and where they stand. Many of us have heard that with the advent of newer technologies, VPNs no longer hold enough authority to be considered a leader in online security and privacy. This has led to a worrying belief that VPN is dead. Like a coin that has two sides, this argument has a face that insists that VPNs are no longer relevant in the face of newer tech that has already made waves and outed them. In contrast, the opposition believes VPNs to be a tried and tested approach to online safety.
The neutral bunch is, as usual, claiming that both sides have their own merits. What is the truth? We can’t falsify the growth of technology, nor do we discredit the influence some newer alternatives have on corporate implementation. However, this can’t confirm the exit of VPNs from the market. We believe the VPN is evolving, and even the latest technologies aren’t reliable enough to be a stand-alone in place of a VPN. Thus, today, we will be looking forward to answering the question: is VPN dead?
What does history tell us?
To understand VPNs, we have to take a quick tour of the glorious history it represents. The era was void of the internet as we know it, and businesses were looking for a way to communicate with remote locations privately. This need for a private network gave birth to the peer-to-peer tunneling protocol that became the crowning jewel of the then VPNs. However, that legacy era of VPNs was void of remote workers and SaaS (Software as a service) of cloud structures. As such, it was easy to implement VPNs within the physical infrastructure of corporations. But then came the rapid growth of the internet, and improvement became a daily forte.
In the early 2020s, we live an internet-integrated life that doesn’t seem possible with the absence of the World Wide Web. Smartphones are as powerful as our desktops, and companies have remote workers instead of workplaces. Mobility is the name of the game. As such, the traditional site-to-site VPNs have gone almost extinct. However, the tech has proven itself to be sustainable. With the remote access implementation, not only did the corporate sphere get a new breath of life, it even made VPNs possible for generic use. This is evident in the form of consumer VPNs.
But the recent times have also witnessed the emergence of newer tech like the ZTNA (zero-trust network access). It led many to assume prematurely that VPNs are dead. However, that isn’t the way things work. Now, we aren’t stipulating VPNs are error-free. They are prone to many issues, like scalability and performance. They may be a crucial piece of the cybersecurity puzzle but not the whole solution. It is simply too early to dismiss them as redundant and assume VPN to be dead.
Problems with VPN? Is it dead yet?
We have always known and maintained that VPNs are not foolproof online. However, since the birth of this technology, businesses have relied on VPN for security and network management. It doesn’t mean VPNs are acceptable everywhere, but, believe it or not, there isn’t an exact alternative to VPN available for users. Sure, you have proxies, cloud computing MPLS, and ZTNA. However, each of these technologies can/does use a VPN to improve the services they offer. Some of these techs are incomplete without a VPN. While some may be stand-alone with a VPN in play, they can achieve much more.
Then the question remains — if VPNs are so hot, why are some users claiming the death of this tech? Those against the notion will further argue that VPNs are incapable of total security. Furthermore, there are exploitable loopholes that can render a VPN moot. While VPNs are “good” for securing access to a well-defined network, they are inoperable to provide such service. The growing demand for SaaS (software as a service) and cloud computing are rendering traditional networks obsolete, and with them, the usage of VPNs.
However, these users forget VPC and remote access VPNs. True, such an implementation of VPN is dependent on relevant authority and technology, but since when were VPNs stand-alone? If you forgo the consumer VPNs that a private individual uses for privacy, most enactments of VPNs come in the form of added benefits. VPNs can only prevent outside attacks and is incapable of internal protection, while a ZTNA is an all-rounder. Well, ZTNA, too, is essentially a VPN, though!
Statistics answer: Is VPN dead?
Numbers don’t lie! People have the freedom to believe and argue what they think is right. But if you go by the recent numbers regarding VPNs, they will show a completely different story. Many have claimed that the pandemic has rung the death knell for VPNs. With a surge in demand for remote workers, corporates have observed that VPNs can’t cope with the rising tide. But is it the whole truth? For sure, a site-to-site VPN can’t cope with an increase in the virtual workforce, but businesses that employ remote access didn’t find the pandemic such an issue.
The recent statistical findings will also agree. Just take a look:
- The US VPN industry quadrupled in the last two years, from 0.13% to 4.6%. That, too, is only for consumer VPNs.
- The industry as a whole will reach $31.1 billion by the end of 2021. An estimate projects it to surpass $92 billion by 2027.
- Around 31% of the internet users worldwide employ a VPN.
- Almost 91% of the IT professionals worry about cloud technology without VPNs.
- Out of total 31%, a quarter gets paid by businesses and corporates. This means that one-fourth of VPN users worldwide are employees.
- 88% of companies migrated employees to remote work in 2020, raising demand for VPNs.
- For those who claim the pandemic will be the end of VPN: VPN usage surged around 27.1% during the pandemic.
- According to OpenVPN3: 68% of companies have started using VPNs for the first time or increased their use since the onset of the pandemic. The study also reveals that 29% of companies are first-time users.
If we go by these numbers, an apparent problem with the VPNs is not foreseeable.
VPN is evolving into different alternates
So is VPN dead? Definitely not. Yes, some technologies can replace it in several places, but that too will take time. Additionally, the advent of consumer VPNs will be there as a placeholder anyway. We know it is a technology that hasn’t changed much since its inception 20 years ago. Maybe the protocols are advanced now, and the encryption practices are state of the art. However, the fundamentals remain the same. If you look closely, you may find that VPNs affect revolving technologies. Be it the router, gateway, or concentrator, each one has seen growth in the last decade.
While the VPN itself may be unable to circumvent the shackles of mediocrity, the implementation of the technology has never stopped advancing. VPNs have been evolving. Traditional VPNs are likely to be phased out sooner or later to make way for more flexible, scalable options. However, it will take years for mature SDP (software-defined perimeter) and ZTNA products to replace VPNs. Similarly, larger enterprises will take their time when embracing newer tech as opposed to tried and tested VPNs.
To conclude whether VPN is dead or not, all we can say is that technology is ever-changing. There will be a time when older adaptations will have to vacate the seat for newer ones.