We are no longer strangers to the prowess of VPNs. Due to the surging cybercrime and online surveillance, we require tools to circumvent such efforts. That is where a VPN comes in. It is a great service that can aid your online safety. However, before we started using VPNs as a means of privacy and security, they had been prevalent in the corporate world. Businesses use VPNs as a means of securing their network, as well as a bridge to connect multiple networks. They can use them for monitoring and administration. But more importantly, a business VPN can help you secure your corporate network. As for how they can achieve this? We will cover it in today’s article as well. Follow us for a detailed review of how businesses benefit from the existence of VPNs. To learn more about VPNs themselves, do read our article on what is a VPN?
What is a business VPN?
In simple words – a VPN employed for a corporate is a business VPN. However, it is somewhat different from its commercial counterpart in implementation. Thus, a business VPN is as it sounds: A VPN for business purposes. The main driving force behind this is the secure connectivity of the remote workforce to the central network. Many corporates use traditional perimeter security models to secure their corporate networks. A business VPN arguments this security practice and gives remote workers and branch offices access to a virtual network that is: integral to the central network via public or a private connection.
Businesses tend to deliver internal files, tools, data, etc., to remote employees via a shared network that runs on any connection around the globe. The network thus created is not only private but also secure. Hence, the proprietary data remains safe within this network away from the prying eyes of the public internet. Business VPN creates a virtual network and ensures safety via encryption.
Now, a business with a perimeter security model builds a business-only network within the organization’s structures and locations. They use VPNs to do so. Traditionally, a corporate relies on two types of VPN for its networking needs: remote access for the remote workforce and site-to-site for its branch offices.
How can you secure your corporate network?
As stated above: There are two distinct ways to secure a corporate network by relying on a VPN.
- Remote Access VPN
- IPsec VPN
- SSL VPN
- Site-to-site VPN
- Intranet VPN/Extranet VPN
- MPLS
Both remote access and site-to-site have their merits and demerits. However, more and more corporates have shifted towards remote access VPN implementation in recent times. Although you should remember that: a remote access VPN connects remote workforce but is not limited to a physical location. But the site-to-site VPN connects branch offices and is limited to physical locales.
Remote access VPN – Remote access allows distant employees to connect to a corporation’s internal network. It works by creating a private and secure tunnel via protocols like IPsec or SSL to facilitate secure communication over a public connection. It is a host-to-network connection that: relies on clients or web applications for authentication and granting access to users.
Site-to-site VPN – It is older than the internet itself. Businesses used ARPANET to create a private network over TCP/IP to connect their various offices. It also relies on a gateway for joining two or more endpoints of multiple networks into a singular central network. However, these connected networks aren’t interlinked to one another. They are a unified yet independent implementation of a corporate network that is integral to the central one. Furthermore, this implementation is limited to physical locations only; as such, it has been going out of practice. Site-to-site VPNs can be intranet or extranet, and they often use MPLS architecture.
Corporate VPN vs. Consumer VPN –
Based on their implementations, the differences between a business and a personal VPN is as follows:
| Based on | Business VPN | Personal VPN |
|---|---|---|
| The number of connections/users | It has multiple connections as hundred of users simultaneously use it. | It has only an individual user resulting in a single tunnel. |
| Usage/purpose | Its primary purpose was for corporate use. It can protect the central network of a company. | Its objective was to provide personal service and is only capable of securing your network. |
| IP address | Corporate employees get static IP addresses. They are suitable for security and convenience. | The dynamic IP address gets used multiple times, which is significant in achieving online anonymity. |
| Network management | The central command manages and administers the network. Any admin rights are subject to invitation and ownership of the network. Total control of the network relies on leadership. | The individual has complete control over his account, but the VPN network falls under the provider, and users have no say in it. |
| Implementation | Setting up corporate (Business) VPN requires specialized knowledge and exclusive rights within the company. A technically limited person will find it hard to do so. | It is easy to set up a consumer VPN. Download it and install it in a few clicks. |
| Maintenance and after-sales services | Maintenance falls upon the organization. While the VPN provider does offer a few after-sale services, the network management is subject to the administration. | The VPN provider is fully responsible for the maintenance of the service. |
| Focus | It is limited to network security, management, monitoring on a specialized scale limited to corporate capabilities. | It’s suitable for regular activities that happen daily. It considers the individual and offers services optimum to a single user. |
Can a VPN help your business network?
Whether for a business or a consumer, VPNs are known for their security and privacy to the user. Thus, no matter the implementation, VPNs are otiose if they fail to do such. Similarly, a VPN helps your business first and foremost by providing additional security to your network and ensures the safety of your proprietary data against external intrusion. However, it isn’t limited to only those functions. A business VPN is multifaceted; It can aid your management and help you with network monitoring. It can also bridge multiple networks. A VPN concentrator can even unify thousands of individual connections into a singular unit. As such, there is no lack of functions when it comes t the corporate implementation of a VPN.
A VPN doesn’t simply connect your remote workforce and integrate them within the central network. It also ensures that the whole setup remains secure under layers of encryption. So, yes. A VPN can help your business network. The various protocols like IPsec, SSL, and implementations like the intranet, extranet, and MPLS can provide a variety of combinations you can use to enhance your network in numerous ways.
Benefits of a business VPN –
- Remote access to the workforce – It can aid your corporation by bridging the distance between your remote workforce and central command and increasing efficiency.
- Scalability – A VPN is not rigid and can aid in further scaling or downsizing of a network with ease. Some business VPNs are good at it as the SSL VPN; While some are not so much like the IPsec. But still, you can easily control the width of your network with a VPN.
- Enhanced security – The encryption tunnels provide an added layer of protection to your network.
- Network management – A VPN can also help you with direction. It can manage, monitor, and administer the network by employing routers, gateways, and concentrators. Using such VPN devices can help you fully control the network.
- Cost-efficient – A business VPN can save you the cost of launching a brand-new branch office. Since it can facilitate remote work with ease; You do not have to spend money on additional office locations. And by doing so, you can save a substantial sum.
Limitation of a business VPN –
- Security risks – A VPN is not foolproof. Especially against malware, or if a rouge device gains access to your network, VPN becomes moot.
- Latency issues – A VPN can be overloaded and suffer from bandwidth issues. But similarly, it can face latency issues if the NAS exists in a physical yet remote location.
- Operation costs – VPNs are pricey, and they rely on exclusive software. Managing and maintaining a VPN network can be costly.
- Management upkeep – The central command has to divide some focus on the management of VPNs. It is not only costly but also inefficient.
- Failure against inside and deliberate threats – VPNs are effective only against external threats. If someone gains access to your network, the VPN cannot do anything. Similarly, if an employee deliberately tries to harm the organization, VPN can not prevent this.