VPN benefits for remote workers | NordVPN (2024)

What is a VPN, and why do I need a VPN for remote work?

A virtual private network (VPN) is an online security tool that encrypts your network traffic and is a vital mechanism to ensure a safe remote work environment. It works as a shield for your online activities, protecting your sensitive information from prying eyes. Without a VPN, your data might be exposed to various cyber dangers that may lead to losing your personal data, especially when working on public networks.

A VPN protects all your work-related online traffic and IP address, making it challenging for your internet service provider (ISP) to track your online activities and threat actors to intercept or access your data. It safeguards your online traffic even when you’re connected to unsecured networks, such as at a café or library. Besides, it is necessary to securely access your company’s resources from wherever you’re working.

Benefits of using a VPN for remote workers

The rise of remote work over the past few years has highlighted the necessity of VPNs, ensuring secure connection to the company networks and protecting against cyber threats. When you’re working remotely, especially over unsecured or public networks, your data is at risk of unauthorized access, which can damage the company’s networks and confidentiality. Let’s uncover what’s under the benefits of using a VPN when working remotely:

Enhanced cybersecurity

One of the benefits of using a VPN for remote work is the amount of cybersecurity it provides. A VPN safeguards your online activities by encrypting your internet connection and scrambling your traffic into unreadable language. Encryption makes it hard for hackers to access your company’s confidential data and documents. A VPN gives you peace of mind when working remotely, shielding your valuable information from prying eyes.

Secure remote access

A VPN creates a secure tunnel between your device and your company’s network, ensuring that the communication between the two parties is safe and inaccessible to hackers. It allows employees to access company networks and all the necessary internal resources, servers, and databases from anywhere in the world.

Protection while connected to a public Wi-Fi

Any public Wi-Fi connection might be risky. Anytime you work from your favorite coffee shop, library, or airport, your network connection becomes more vulnerable to cyberattacks than at home or work. Here comes a VPN to protect your data from potential threats, such as evil twin attacks, on these unsecured networks. If you’re not using a VPN, threat actors can use this opportunity, when you’re on public Wi-Fi, to access your sensitive information, steal it, and use it for nefarious purposes, such as financial fraud or identity theft.

Access control

A VPN allows companies to oversee and manage who has access to the company network and what they can do once they’re in. Naturally, you’d want to control who gets inside the internal systems and what parts of the corporate network are accessible to them. Usually, not all team members need access to the same resources. For example, your marketing department doesn’t need access to your payment systems, while employees from human resources don’t need access to your content management systems. So, a VPN is not only for securing your network. It lets you finetune who gets access to your company’s digital assets.

Remote collaboration

A VPN might be the cornerstone of productivity for remote teams. VPNs can facilitate secure communication and collaboration between team members working remotely. They ensure sensitive documents are sent through an encrypted tunnel and stay safe during virtual meetings and file sharing.

Site-to-site VPN and remote access VPN

Site-to-site VPN and remote access VPN both have their purposes in the business world. A site-to-site VPN connects entire networks or branch offices, allowing seamless data sharing and resource access between different physical locations. It’s a go-to option for multinational companies or businesses with multiple offices nationwide.

Remote access VPN, on the flip side, allows individuals to access a corporate network from home or another country securely. It enables employees to access confidential files, documents, and applications through an encrypted tunnel, safeguarding the data from prying eyes. This is especially handy for companies that promote remote work.

So, there is no one-size-fits-all option. Therefore, understanding these VPN types may help you make the right choice for your specific needs.

Full tunnel and split-tunnel VPN

Both full tunnel and split tunnel VPN technologies aim to balance security and performance in the business world. A full tunnel VPN routes all the internet traffic through a secure VPN server, ensuring the security of your digital assets, but it can potentially slow down your internet speed.

Split tunnel VPN, on the other hand, allows you to determine which traffic goes through the VPN and which traffic accesses the internet directly. For example, you can route your work-related data through a VPN server and let the non-work data reach the internet without a VPN. However, your employees must understand split tunneling security risks before they let any apps access the internet directly on work devices.

Therefore, full tunnel VPNs are great when strict security is a must. In contrast, split tunnel VPNs are a go-to option to balance security with speedy access to non-sensitive resources, like public websites or streaming services.