The 4 Best Business VPNs For Your Business
We continue to grow as a society towards more and more remote working. Businesses need to address their security in different ways. If you have a company website, you need to use a business VPN to keep your data and communications safe from prying eyes.
Most large companies have their own VPN services while the average small to medium-sized business does not have the budget or the technical resources to set up and maintain their own corporate VPN service.
The good news is there are a few excellent business VPNs available for your company’s security. When looking for VPNs most people will find consumer grade VPNs and they may work sometimes, but your business needs a more robust option for security.
Picking the right VPN for your company can be challenging. This article will help you narrow down the choices.
What is a VPN?
Do Small Businesses Need A VPN?
Benefits Of Using A Small Business VPN.
How Does A VPN Work?
Features Of The Best VPNs.
What is a VPN?
A virtual private network (VPN) is a web application that provides end-to-end encryption on all the devices you have connected that are accessing the Internet. You can use a VPN on any of your devices like: computers, cell phones, tablets, TVs (smart TVs), and even your router (business or home). By using a VPN with your devices you will be more anonymous because your location is hidden and it also gives you security when accessing a public Wi-Fi network.
In order to use a VPN you must have a certain type of software on your device, which is called a VPN client. That “client” connects your device to a VPN server in a different location. Once connected, all the communication (data transfers) between your device and the server is encrypted which prevents others from seeing what you are sharing.
Do Small Businesses Need A VPN?
With virtually any question, it depends on your situation, but we believe all businesses can benefit by having and using a VPN.
Online privacy has come to the forefront of businesses that operate online. Regardless of whether you are at home, at work, or traveling, security when accessing company files via the Internet is crucial. This is where a virtual private network (VPN) comes into play.
When you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, your communication (data) is at risk because it is not encrypted and someone could easily get credit card numbers, bank account information, or anything other information you are transmitting. However, when you use a VPN your data is encrypted, and it keeps your communication and data safe.
Benefits Of Using A Small Business VPN
Secure access to company data.
Employees that are working remotely and those on business trips in different countries/geographical locations may want to access their bank accounts, use specific company applications, FTP servers, or other web services. This is possible without a VPN. However, it is done at the risk of having personal or company or personal information accessed by malicious third parties along the way.
Access restricted websites.
Small businesses today hire workers from different parts of the world thanks to fast Internet access, which makes collaboration seamless. The problem comes when some collaboration tools are restricted in certain countries.
For instance, if your business uses Google apps like Gmail to collaborate, it may not be possible if you have workers in countries like China, where all these services are banned. To bypass these restrictions, your employees will need to use a business VPN which does not allow content restriction.
Security on public wireless networks.
Connecting to public Internet connections in hotel rooms, cafes, restaurants, etc. is easy and quick these days. With the increase in cyberattacks and malicious hackers, sharing important information using the Internet in such places is highly insecure and could lead to loss of data because of attacks on these networks. Using a business VPN in such scenarios is prudent.
Cost-effective.
Business VPN providers offer their services in what’s known as Software as a Service (SaaS). This means that the client purchasing these services doesn’t have to buy and install any additional equipment (hardware) to enjoy the protected connectivity.
Monthly, quarterly, or annual subscription plans can purchased, and the charges may vary based on what features a particular VPN service offers.
Anonymity while online.
Sometimes, if not all the time, hiding our actual identity can be useful for security reasons. When using VPN connections, the user’s actual IP (Internet Protocol) address reveals the user’s geographical location and other sensitive information making the user vulnerable to malicious attacks from hackers.
This information is not made public when using a VPN. The VPN service provider provides a proxy IP address that makes it harder for third parties to get your location details that would have been available if the user’s actual IP address was used.
Business VPNs help in controlling access.
As a small business owner, you may not want workers at all levels to access the entire database of your company. With a VPN, you can control who sees what and when in a more secure way. Any employee can be given credentials to use in order to access the business VPN. It is from these credentials that the VPN app determines the level of access each employee gets to the company’s database.
How Does A VPN Work?
Once a device connects to a VPN server, the data is encrypted and then sent through a tunnel to another location. It makes you look like you are in a different location when using the remote server. Most VPNs allow you to choose the server location you will be seen sending data from. You could be in your office in downtown Denver and your VPN server could be in New York City. The data you send will appear to be coming from New York City instead of Denver.
This is all done via an IP address. When your communication is sent the website recognizes the VPN server’s IP address instead of yours. It keeps your IP address private. This is one of the primary reasons you should use a VPN. By sending your data using a unique IP address it prevents others from tracking your activity easily.
In most cases, you will have a VPN client on each device you wish to encrypt your data from. There are services, though, that will work on your Wi-Fi router and allow all your devices to use the VPN without having to have an app on each individual device. When using it on your router it also protects your private business network.
You will need a VPN that supports simultaneous connections if you want to connect all your devices at the same time.
Features Of The Best Business VPNs
When you begin researching the best business VPN for your company, there are a few things you will want to look for. You should choose one that has:
P2P (peer-to-peer) network downloads.
Peer-to-peer downloading allows users to share information with each another. This allows the network to function without the use of a use of a special server.
A kill switch.
During any data transfer or communication should the network fail, your device will default back to its public IP address, making your data available to be hijacked. A VPN kill switch disconnects you from the internet ensuring that it will not transfer your data without encryption.
OpenVPN or IPSec protocols.
An OpenVPN protocol is a system that uses techniques to create a secure point-to-point or site-to-site connection. It allows authentication using pre-shared secret keys, certificates or username and password.
IPsec (Internet Protocol Security) authenticates and encrypts data for secure communication between two computers over an Internet Protocol network.
Many experts consider these 2 protocols to provide the best security for a business VPN.
A no-log VPN policy.
This means that your VPN provider does not collect any information transmitted through the network.
Perimeter 81 Business VPN
This business VPN offers much more than the average consumer VPN for business. An Israeli-based cloud company created it to provide organizations with a secure way of accessing their cloud resources and to provide secure employee collaboration.
Since Perimeter 81 was designed for business, it includes a robust management console with a variety of tools available. This means it is a little more time-consuming and difficult to set up, but gives your business many options to work with.
Perimeter 81 offers businesses some special security features. You can segment your network to ensure that any sensitive is safe from a data breach. You can also set up a site to site business VPN to connect two networks (perhaps your business has a remote location). Your network can be scaled as your business grows.
You can set up your own business VPN (like the site to site) or you could use the VPN via any of the 700 public servers in 36 different locations worldwide. It encrypts your data and that of your remote workers with 256-bit AES for security.
They have three pricing plans that are: $8/user/month (minimum of 5 users), $12/user/month (minimum of 10 users), and custom (minimum of 50 users).
All packages are billed annually and include all other cloud services that Perimeter 81 offers. This corporate VPN is compatible with all the popular operating systems like Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and ChromeOS.
Perimeter 81 business VPN features:
- Supports backup scheduling.
- Specifically designed for business.
- Options to use your own server or choose from Perimeter 81 public servers.
- Support for site-to-site VPNs.
- Host apps and files on the VPN server.
- Enterprise strength encryption.
- Network segmentation.
- Provides cybersecurity with AI/Machine learning and behavioral analytics.
- Can be configured to carry out I.T. asset management and audit management.
- Supports remote monitoring and deployment management.
NordVPN Teams
NordVPN Teams is another business VPN that companies can rely on to have their teams collaborate and access the Internet securely. They boast over 3000 servers throughout 33 countries.
Remote access is a breeze, and you can manage all user accounts from the control panel. They provided centralized billing and a dedicated account manager.
You can opt for monthly or annual billing.
Choosing the annual payment option will save you 22% on the basic plan and 19% on the advanced plan. Basic plan is $9 monthly, or $7 per month as an annual payment. The Advanced plan is $11 monthly or $9 per month with the annual payment. All plan prices are per user.
There is also an Enterprise plan in which they will help you design and build a fully customized network security system. You must call and request a quote for this option.
Business VPN Features include:
- Control Panel.
- Centralized billing.
- Dedicated account manager.
- Remote access and international content.
- AES 256-bit encryption.
- Scalable platform.
- 2-factor authentication.
- Kill switch.
- 3rd party login.
- Custom gateways.
- Activity monitoring.
Encrypt.me Business VPN
Encrypt.me is a part of J2 Global which has many internet information services. One of the best features it offers is unlimited devices than can be used on a single plan. So no matter how many devices your employees have, they can will work with the Encrypt.me VPN service.
Encrypt.me works with most major platforms, as do most other VPN services. They include iOS, Android, MacOS, Windows and Amazon. The process to set up each device is simple and security is strong. You can also block content for users on your network connection.
Pricing begins at $7.99 each for two team members (minimum) and reduces (in tiers) to $5.99 once you reach 100 members. Support services are available 24×7 through live chat and help desk.
They offer a two-week free trial, which is worthwhile in order to check out the service to see if it’s right for your company needs.
Features include:
- Team management from a single account allows you to add or remove users.
- Private endpoints, which you can deploy on virtual servers hosted by Amazon Web Servers.
- Content filtering allows you to block things like advertisements, adult content, and social media.
- 24/7 customer support via live chat or help desk.
- The network has 70 locations in over 40 countries.
VyprVPN For Business
VyprVPN is a product of Golden Frog, a Switzerland-based company that specializes in software and services. This business VPN sports a network of over 700 servers across 64 different countries.
They own and manage all of their servers so your data is not crossing on third-party servers like many of their competitors. As with many other business VPNs, they support most all major platforms and promote zero-knowledge DNS service.
They have P2P support across their network, and provide support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Using AES 256-bit encryption, your data is safe. There are some additional security features including a kill switch and a NAT firewall to help ensure that no malware gets through.
VyprVPN touts their proprietary Chameleon protocol technology, which bypasses networks in any country that try to control access to the Internet. You have options of choosing: OpenVPN, L2TP/IPsec, and PPTP protocols as well.
There are 2 plans available: VyprVPN for Business (starts at $299.00/yr.) and VyprVPN for Business Cloud (starting at $349.00/yr.).
Features of VyprVPN Business:
- Secure No-Log VPN.
- 24/7 Customer Support.
- 5 Simultaneous Connections.
- Over 70 worldwide server locations.
- Restricted content access.
- IP Address Protection.
- AES 256-bit encryption.
- NAT Firewall.
- Dedicated manager.
Conclusion
Finally, a business VPN is a must for your business, and not having one is setting yourself up for failure.
Choosing the right VPN for your company will depend on the number of employees that will have access, the cost per person for that access, and the importance you place on your company’s privacy.
There are many other consumer VPNs that may be able to do the job for a small business if you do not need the additional features that a business VPN offers.