How a VPN Can Enhance Company Network Security

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What does your company’s network security look like? Is your company safe from cybercriminals, hackers, or digital spies?

In today’s world it isn’t enough to ensure your employees don’t publicly discuss private company information. That’s because there are those out there who have figured out how to access your sensitive information. They know how to digitally peek at conversations between you and your contractors, employees, and clients.

People often communicate on their phones. Or they use their computers while using public Internet connections (think coffee shops, libraries, and airports). We don’t often think of these conversations as “publicly discussing company information.” However, these open connections provide no security. As a matter of fact, hackers can easily access them.

It would be incredibly simple for data to become compromised while traveling across these open Internet spaces. This is where VPNs come into play.

 

How VPNs Work

VPN stands for “virtual private network.” VPNs can seem complicated if you have never had experience with them. They work by encrypting your data and creating a false location for your IP address. This keeps others (including your Internet Service Provider) from seeing your data or location.

 

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An Analogy to Explain the Process

Think of the Internet as an open field surrounded by trees. Among the trees are hackers and other nefarious people who want your data. When you use the Internet without a VPN, you put your information, search requests, and so on into a wagon. This wagon travels across the field to your ISP. Your ISP looks at the information, figures out where it is supposed to go, and sends the information-loaded wagon to its intended destination.

However, each time your data passes across the field, bad people have a chance to peek at what is in the wagon. At times, they steal bits of information.

When you use a VPN, you effectively upgrade your data’s wagon to an armored car. This armored car has a label on the outside with your data’s intended destination. The armored car travels across the field, and your ISP only gets to look at the label. Then it sends the car to its destination. No wandering eyes or sticky fingers can get into your secure data transport vehicle.

In other words, by using a VPN you ensure that your company and clients’ information is private and secure.

 

Other Network Security Uses for VPNs

• VPNs provide tons of great services that might be useful to your company’s network security. One useful thing VPNs do is keep websites and search engines from tracking your data. When your data is tracked and stored, people can find out all sorts of information about your company and clients depending on the type of research you perform. This information can lead to targeted advertising, hacking, and information leaks for your clients.
• VPNs allow you to maintain a local IP address when traveling overseas. Many clients can find it concerning that you appear to be working from a different country than your company claims to be based in. Therefore, you can avoid losing clients who are concerned about the location of your IP address. To do this, you can direct your VPN to choose a server that is located in your country.
• VPNs can help you maximize your SEO. By changing your IP location to countries with different social and moral values, you can search around for your business’s advertisements and search listings. From there, you can figure out how effective your current SEO strategy is in other countries.

 

Is Your Company’s Network Security at Risk of Cybercrimes?

VPNs are great for any type or size of company. If you work with clients, private data, or even just your own personal information, a VPN will greatly boost your company’s network security. That being said, VPNs are an absolute necessity for small businesses.

In recent years, the number of cyberattacks on companies has dramatically increased. What is even more concerning, however, is that nearly half of those attacks are enacted on small, often family-owned businesses. In short, these are the very businesses that rarely can afford the aftermath of a major data breach.

Hackers and cybercriminals tend to be aware that these companies likely do not have strict network security. They take advantage of this situation to steal important information from clients. Additionally, they attack the personal information of employees or gain access to the private data of the company itself.

Compared to the price of handling the clean-up of a security breach, the price of a reputable VPN provider is negligible. This makes a good VPN an absolute must for the small business owner.

 

Where Do I Find a VPN for My Business?

There are a lot of options out there in the world of VPNs. Some VPNs boast about being free. However, if you want to ensure your security you should seek a paid VPN. Here, you’ll find extra security features such as no-log protocols, data encryption, large server options, and more.

If you aren’t familiar with VPNs, the number of options can feel overwhelming. However, all the research has already been done for you. Just take a look at vpnpro.com to learn which VPN is the best option for you and your company.

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