Due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, more & more small businesses have shifted their work pattern from a physical office to work from home. While doing that, most businesses didn’t have any preparation to protect vital information from cyber-attacks.
Consequently, there has been a significant rise in the number of cyberattacks on small corporations. According to research conducted in over 86 countries worldwide, it is found that nearly 43% of small businesses were targeted through cyberattacks.
VPNs have become popular among small businesses and organizations as they provide top-level security and anonymity without putting too much pressure on your IT budget. But, what is VPN, exactly?
Simply put, it is a network system that uses an extra layer of security and encryption model to hide your browsing history, location, and identity from the World Wide Web.
Here, we have discussed a few reasons why you should consider a VPN for your business.
Improved Security
A VPN is a low-cost solution for small businesses to prevent data breaches hacks. Hacking usually starts with an IP address. VPN can hide your original IP, so hackers will never know the IP address of your device.
VPN can also hide your browsing activities as your data travels through an encrypted tunnel.
Encryption of Important Business Data
Your business has several important data like online banking data, customers’ personal information, company information, and business strategy, etc. When you send any of this data over the internet, it may get hacked.
One way of protecting it is by VPN, as the software encrypts all data, including audio, voice, and video data.
You are Safe on a Public Network
Sometimes you need to access the internet through a public network (i.e., coffee shop, restaurant) when you are in a meeting with your high-profile client. This makes your sensitive information vulnerable.
VPN can save the deal for you. If you use a VPN, it blocks out any hacker trying to get access to your sensitive files.
Affordable Solution
Technology is getting expensive every day. Small businesses are finding it difficult to keep their IT budget on the lower side. A VPN is quite affordable thus can save you millions of dollars in the process.
VPN has the flexibility to provide access to multiple users from a single account. Some VPN software can the installed on the router. As a small business, if you have a good VPN router, it can create secure Wi-Fi for the entire office.
Remote Access
In this changed economic condition, many small businesses are leaning toward hiring remote employees. Remote employees still need to get access to your office network to perform their job. If their connection is not secure, your business data is compromised.
You just need a remote access VPN to keep the data safe & sound. Once your employees use a VPN, they can get access to your office network and your resources while still keeping all data secure.
Choosing a VPN Provider Wisely
So, now you know the benefits of using a VPN for your small business. It is also equally important to know what to look for when choosing a VPN provider. There are many providers out there, so it is natural that you may get overwhelmed.
Here are some basic things to look at:
- Check the encryption level of a VPN provider. Usually, 256-bit encryption works fine.
- Choose a VPN that supports multiple devices and multiple users from a single account.
- Choose a VPN provider with a ‘no logging policy so they can’t use or sell your browsing information to third parties.
- Choose a VPN that can be installed on a VPN router.
In Summary
Your email and cloud storage accounts are a very ripe target for hackers. And as a small business, you may not be able to spend much on your IT infrastructure.
Therefore, VPN is the most ideal option for your organization as it keeps your network & business data safe while keeping the cost on the lower side.