The variety of VPN types and their role in the modern business world
From a business perspective, VPNs provide a number of benefits. However, which VPN architecture is optimal in any particular case? When making decisions in the field of information technology, you can choose one of several types of VPN: remote access, cross-site, cloud and hybrid. Let us explain the main differences between them.
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the importance of virtual private networks as an integral element of secure communications for companies. Thanks to VPN technology, it was possible to quickly organize remote work for a huge number of office and other employees. A VPN not only provides secure remote access to a corporate network, but can also be used for various other purposes.
Differences in the main areas of VPN use
In the world of modern technology, virtual private networks are already an integral part of the security and flexibility of business processes. Different types of VPNs offer a variety of options for ensuring data protection and information exchange between remote devices and networks. Let's consider the main ones and their role in the modern world:
- VPN for remote access allows employees to access internal company resources from the outside, while ensuring data protection and encryption. The implementation of this type of VPN may vary depending on the specific needs and technology used. Based on VPN for remote access, a connection is established between the client on the end device and the VPN gateway through an encrypted channel. The gateway controls access to resources on the network and also ensures the security of transmitted data, often using an authentication server. This type of VPN allows employees to perform their tasks in a safe and productive environment, even while away from the office. As a result, operational flexibility and efficiency of business processes increase. However, to ensure security, it is necessary to pay attention to the protection of end devices and the correct configuration of the network and VPN gateway.
- A site-to-site VPN connects multiple remote locations of a company. Offices, branches and even data centers can be considered as places that need secure communication between each other and may be geographically located in different countries. Typically, each location has its own local network. Often pre-configured VPN devices are used that connect to a central VPN gateway. However, there are also software implementations. VPN endpoints create and manage VPN tunnels. They provide encryption and decryption of traffic or handle other technical aspects such as routing and address translation to avoid network conflicts. Most often, the public Internet is used for connection. Broadband connections via leased line, DSL and cable, or 5G mobile communications are suitable for this. In any case, the line must have sufficient bandwidth, otherwise there may be a delay in data transmission. To prevent data interception by unauthorized devices, VPN devices must be authenticated. Configuring redundant VPN devices and using failover mechanisms ensure high VPN availability between sites. If your device or internet connection fails, alternate paths are automatically used to maintain communications. The advantage of VPNs between sites is their scalability. Existing structures can easily be expanded to include additional locations if a company opens a new branch, for example. Compared to leased lines using the MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) protocol, VPN protocols are cheaper because they create their own secure tunnels through the public Internet.
- Cloud VPN is a solution that is provided through the cloud. Compared to traditional VPN implementations, this simplifies the use since there is no need for additional hardware purchases, for example. Cloud VPN is also suitable for securely connecting employees, individual departments or the entire company with applications that are themselves hosted in the cloud. In addition, cloud VPNs, like other cloud solutions, are relatively easy to adapt to a company's specific needs. Cloud VPNs often cause unreasonable mistrust among companies, although skepticism is based mainly on issues of security and data protection. Many executives are hesitant because they don't want to trust their sensitive data and network communications to a cloud platform that is difficult to control. In addition, they fear becoming victims of a data breach - unauthorized third parties could gain access to their data. Compliance requirements that are often not met by local companies often remain unresolved.
- Hybrid VPN — it is a combination of different types of virtual private networks combined into one architecture to provide a more flexible and efficient network infrastructure. This approach allows organizations to combine the benefits of different VPN types to meet their unique needs for secure communications and data access. Overall, a hybrid VPN is a flexible and scalable solution for large organizations that need a combination of different communication methods to ensure the security and efficiency of their network infrastructure.
How to choose a VPN for organizing a business
Understanding which type of VPN will be most optimal for a particular business requires taking into account several factors:
- Business scale. If you have a small company with a small number of employees and relatively few remote access needs, then using a VPN for remote access may be sufficient. Larger companies with multiple departments or branches may prefer a site-to-site VPN or a hybrid type of VPN.
- Security requirements. If your data is sensitive and requires a high level of protection, then you need to choose a VPN that provides strong data encryption and authentication mechanisms. Hybrid VPN architectures may be the best choice for companies that need a combination of different VPN types to provide the highest level of security.
- Geographical distribution of employees and resources. If you have employees or branches in different geographic areas, then a site-to-site VPN may be the preferred option to enable communication between them. If your business is largely based on cloud applications, then a cloud VPN may be the most convenient solution.
- Budget. An equally important factor is your company's budget. Cloud VPN solutions, for example, can be more cost-effective because they do not require significant hardware investment.
Private VPN server: a great option for remote access
If we consider the scope of use of a private VPN server, then it is most optimal to use it for organizing remote access. A private VPN server allows an individual user or a small group of users to establish a secure connection to a corporate network or other resources via the Internet.
Thus, a private VPN server provides remote access to the company’s internal resources from the outside, in the same way as a VPN for remote access does. It allows users to connect to the network through an encrypted tunnel and access data and applications just as if they were inside the office.
In a word, a private VPN server can be considered as part of the VPN architecture for remote access, where it represents one of the elements that provides remote users with the ability to securely access the corporate network.
You can buy a private VPN server on Private VPN server. On this resource you will find comprehensive information about numerous facts about VPN, as well as the latest trends and phenomena in this area. Don't forget that staying safe online – It's an important investment in the privacy of your digital business life.