With the new working models, more and more information is hosted in the cloud, and more work connections are made via the Internet. Luckily, you can protect your data and actions through virtual private networks. We are going to explain what a VPN is and why you should use it in your company or business and no matter what services it provides, whether it’s pizza delivery or programming assignments help. There are at least 4 main reasons to do so. Take a few minutes of your time to discover the advantages of encrypted browsing.
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What exactly is a VPN and how does it work?
A VPN, which stands for Virtual Private Network, is a technological solution that allows you to encrypt and hide the data that enters and leaves your device when you are connected to the Internet. Specifically, the software sends the information in an encrypted format, which no third party could decipher, even if it managed to intercept the data.
- f we go into the details of how it works, the two main elements of a VPN are data encryption and the use of remote servers.
- By encrypting the data sent, the VPN program alters the information in such a way that it can only be decrypted at the destination. Technically, a tunneling protocol is usually used. This means that the encrypted data and the rules for decrypting the information are sent separately.
- On the other side of the encryption, tunnels are remote servers. Generally, you can choose between different countries for these servers. They help you to remain anonymous, and you can also change your apparent location.
- If you have never used a virtual private network, it’s easy, and you will easily find a free trial VPN that will allow you to check out all the advantages that I will explain below.
Why is it important to use a VPN in your company?
You need to use a VPN because you need to encrypt your information.
Data encryption is essential because a company handles many confidential elements, both from the users of the devices themselves as well as from third parties. Here is some information that can be exposed:
- The first thing that comes to mind is financial data, such as bank account numbers or card transactions but many emails contain confidential or sensitive data. When you give a quotation to a strategic client, for example, you would not want the information to get into the hands of your competitors.
- Likewise, you have to consider all the personal data about you or your employees that may travel through online channels. Think about all the information you share with your agency.
- The passwords you use for some web pages that contain sensitive information.
I could go on with more examples, but you can see that the data encryption offered by a VPN is very useful for maintaining the confidentiality of the data you handle in your company.
The way of working has changed
The second reason why you should use a VPN in your company is that work is no longer the same as it was ten years ago.
Not so long ago, only the largest companies frequently used remote access technologies for work tools. Since the pandemic, working from outside company headquarters has become widespread, with all the security risks that teleworking can pose.
Workers now connect from their home Wi-Fi network or from a network point in a public place such as an airport, a train, or elsewhere. Those connections are very unsecure, and very easy to hack by hackers.
In addition, companies are no longer working with dedicated servers located on their premises. More and more companies are turning to cloud computing, which means connecting to services remotely, with the consequent security risk.
Anonymity has many advantages
When you use a virtual private network, the websites you connect to do not record any of your data. They don’t know who you are, what device you use, or even your real IP. This has several advantages:
- One of the main ones is that the advertising you are subjected to is much less invasive. Typically, Internet ads are designed using cookies and IP information. This can be annoying because they are excessively personalized and give the feeling that you are being spied on. However, when using a VPN, the advertising you will see will be generic since the site will not have enough information to offer a targeted ad for you.
- Another less well-known benefit is that you can get better prices. Some sites raise rates when they see that a user visits a product several times. In this way, they create a sense of urgency and improve their margin. But, with VPN, they can’t do that.
A VPN allows you to connect to any service
Finally, the fourth of the most important reasons why you should use a VPN is the possibility of changing your IP from a list provided by the service. Generally, you will be able to connect from different countries, even from different cities within the same country.
This is a very practical option for many uses. If you want to see if the configuration of your web page works correctly for a specific country or area, you can do so. It also allows you to access content restricted to users in a country or services your Internet operator has blocked.
