What A VPN Is and Why You Need One

If your company isn’t using a VPN, you could be letting all of your sensitive data hang out for any old hacker to come along and take. A VPN is a virtual private network; technology that allows you to create a secure network connection, in short. Some people believe that they only need one of these if they are doing shady things online, but actually, this is not the case. You might realize after reading this that you’ve need a VPN all along.i

Why Do You Need A VPN?

A company or even an individual may need a VPN for many reasons. Let’s just take a look at wi-fi spoofing; just because a wi-fi network looks legitimate in a coffee shop as you work remotely, doesn’t mean it is. Telecommuting and virtual offices are becoming more mainstream, and employees are being allowed more flexibility at work. This is great, but also comes with dangers, like getting hacked and becoming more susceptible to threats. Unsecured public networks are a huge danger without a VPN.

If a cybercriminal is trying to access data that’s being transmitted while you or an employee is working on an unsecured network, encryption ensures they won’t be able to do anything with it.

You can’t get cocky either, and assume that hackers won’t want anything to do with you. It doesn’t matter how big or small you are; if a hacker can access your data, they will. There are more cyber attacks than ever before these days.

However, a VPN isn’t just safeguarding you from hackers. It can actually improve productivity in your business. Peace of mind is essential for creativity, so it can make a huge difference to the quality of work completed. Your clients also feel more secure, especially if you’re collecting data from them.

A VPN can also let you continue using a ‘U.S’ internet connection if you’re abroad. Some countries restrict what you access – even Facebook, Youtube, and Gmail – and this can obviously hinder your workflow. A VPN is surprisingly affordable, and you can even get a

free vpn in some cases. When you consider the cost of keeping your data and your clients safe, you’ll probably come to the conclusion that it’s worth it.

VPNs are also easy to use. All you have to do is initiate a VPN connection with your company’s VPN server using special software. The software makes sure the connection is secure, then gives you, access to the internal, safe network.

Conclusion: Do you Need A VPN?

You might still believe that a VPN isnt the right option for you. That’s fine. It certainly isn’t suitable to every single person and business out there, but even the casual internet user can make great use of a VPN. It’s a good idea to research free VPNs vs. paid VPNs to see what’s better for you. A free VPN will usually have more ads, a limited selection of servers, and slower connection speeds. A free VPN is usually more suited to a casual user.