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Is a VPN Right for Your Business?

Mike MacKenzie

August 02, 2017

A VPN, or virtual private network, is a way for you to securely hide and encrypt your web usage so that it remains private. Although initially developed primarily for business applications, they're now prevalent in the consumer space as well. A VPN works by encrypting your data before it leaves your computer and is sent to another server. This is especially helpful if you're using public Wi-Fi, as any traffic leaving your computer is encrypted before it arrives at another web server. VPNs have also seen a rise in popularity because of their ability to bypass censored or blocked internet connections. Because all encrypted traffic looks the same, it's impossible for an ISP to regulate what content flows through a VPN. 

How Do VPNs Work?
VPNs work by using an application installed on your computer or mobile device. This application encrypts all of your traffic using a standard protocol like SSL/TLS. This traffic then goes through your ISP's servers and cannot be decrypted, meaning your ISP will only be able to see that encrypted traffic is passing through its servers, nothing else. This traffic then goes to your VPN host's servers where its decrypted and sent to its final destination. Return requests are encrypted in a similar way so that ISPs can't see what kind of responses are flowing through. 

Server's receiving requests from your encrypted traffic will only be able to see that a request was made and what for, not who requested it. As data is passed back and forth, it's encrypted at all stages of the process. 

Using a VPN
Using a VPN isn't difficult. There are number of VPN hosts that charge nominal monthly fees depending on how much traffic you'd like to encrypt. Once you've chosen a client, you'll download their VPN application to your computer or mobile device and ensure that it's configured correctly. You can choose how frequently you'd like it to change servers, or how you'd like to encrypt your traffic. When the VPN application is turned on, all traffic will be encrypted leaving your device. 

VPNs for Business
As mentioned, VPNs were originally popular with business communities before they became popular among consumers. VPNs can bring a number of benefits to organizations looking to protect and encrypt their data. 

Public WiFi
If you have employees who work remotely or on public WiFI to transmit sensitive company data, having a VPN is a must. 

In many European countries, consumer protection laws require customer data to be encrypted and stored securely. If employees are using public WiFi or an unsecured network, they're required to use a VPN to keep data encrypted and away from prying eyes. A VPN can help mask any sensitive information and makes it safer for employees to work away from the office. 

Reduced Network Costs
In the past, businesses have used T1 connections to create secure, fast Internet connections between multiple locations. With VPNs, any public network or traditional Internet connection can provide enough capacity and security to transfer data securely. VPNs are significantly cheaper than traditional business Internet lines and could be a cost-saver depending on the size of your organization. 

New Employees
With traditional networks, adding new employees or guests to a network can add a number of security concerns. With a VPN, you can easily add new individuals to your account and protect your business network from unwanted threats. Although not a substitute for traditional security measures, having an enterprise VPN can make onboarding new employees much faster. 

Legality of VPNs
The legality of using a VPN is sometimes called into question by newcomers. VPNs are completely legal in most countries in the world as long as they're used for legal purposes. While it's more difficult to track a user's Internet traffic, if a web server is seized by police and its seen that your VPN provider connected to it, authorities may subpoena the VPN provider for information about the origins of the traffic. 

VPNs should only be used for legal purposes to remain completely secure. 

Speed Concerns
VPNs can sometimes be slower than a traditional Internet connection because of how they work. Because they have to encrypt and decrypt each packet that's sent to them, depending on their current server load, your traffic could be slowed down. VPNs aren't recommended for consistent large file transfer, but instead for smaller traffic requests. 

Is a VPN Right for Your Business?
If your business manages sensitive employee data or your employees use public WiFi connections, you should invest in a VPN. They're relatively inexpensive and compared to the cost of security, are worth the investment.

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