The pandemic has drastically reshaped society as we know it. Perhaps no area of life was affected by the COVID-19 crisis more than the American workplace.
As of November 2020, 42.7% of American workers were working from home. That’s almost half of the employed workforce, which is a significant shift from normal.
Because of this dramatic increase in remote work, businesses of all kinds are struggling to ensure their employees are safe and have access to the resources they need.
That’s why many companies are signing their employees up for VPN services.
Here’s what you need to know about VPN for work and why a work VPN is an important and valuable business asset during uncertain times.
What Is a VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, a technology that provides security and privacy online. When you use a VPN, your computer becomes part of a private network that is not connected to the internet. This protects your data from being accessed by others and allows you to browse the internet privately.
There are many reasons why you might want to use a VPN. For example, if you work in an office or do remote work, where you are likely to be sharing files with colleagues, using a VPN can help protect your privacy.
It can also help you avoid being spied on by your employer or government. Therefore, one must have the information about the best VPN that fulfills all the concerns and requirements.
Bypass Geo-Locked Content
If you’re like many people, you spend much of your time working remotely. Whether you work from home, on the go, or out of office hours, you need to have access to the same content and tools as your colleagues in the office.
But what if your office is located in Australia while your client is based in the United States? With a VPN, you can bypass geo-locked content and enjoy all the same benefits of working from anywhere in the world.
VPNs can help you access blocked websites and applications, unblock regional content restrictions, and keep your traffic anonymous and secure. A VPN can make your work life much easier if you need to stay connected while on vacation or at a trade show overseas.
Increased Connection Reliability and Stability
Working from home can be a great way to save money and improve your work-life balance, but it can also be challenging to connect to the office network reliably and stay connected during busy periods. A VPN can help make connecting to work much more manageable by ensuring your data is routed through a trusted and secure network.
Reduced Bandwidth Usage
A VPN will reduce your bandwidth usage by encrypting all of your data transfers. This can help to prevent your employer from monitoring your online activities.
Remember, there is a difference between data security and data transfer. Just because you are secured doesn’t mean the data being transferred is secured from the 3rd party’s end.
Decreased Latency
There is no doubt that a better internet experience can be beneficial when working from home. Increasingly, businesses recognize the benefits of providing their employees with a good VPN connection.
Latency, or the time it takes for your computer to send and receive data over the internet, can often be an essential factor in whether you can work productively. Speeds can often vary significantly depending on where you are in the world.
When you connect through a good VPN, your latency will likely decrease. This makes it possible for you to work more effectively and efficiently from anywhere in the world.
Increased Productivity
Due to the increased flexibility, productivity for many workers has dramatically increased. A study by Forrester found that using VoIP over VPN could improve business efficiency by as much as 22%.
Furthermore, if you work in an office with restrictive or expensive bandwidth, using a VPN can amplify your productivity by allowing you to access blocked websites and applications.
Protection Against Malware, Spyware, and Phishing Attacks
VPNs can also provide an added layer of protection against online threats such as malware, spyware, and phishing attacks. All malware and spyware have one thing in common- they can be damaging to your computer system and invade your privacy.
It’s important to protect yourself from these threats by using a VPN for work. A VPN protects your computer against malware and spyware by masking your actual IP address and encrypting all of your traffic.
When Should You Use a VPN for Work?
When it comes to using VPNs at work, the answer is always situational. For some people, a VPN may be the ideal solution because they need to keep their personal information private and secure while working.
Others may want to unblock regional restrictions to access content from other countries. In simple words using VPN is always situational.
It’s important to weigh the benefits and risks of using a VPN before making a decision. Some considerations include:
- What are your specific needs?
- How important are privacy and security?
- Do you have access to restricted content or services outside your home country?
- Are you concerned about data theft or cyber-attacks?
- How much do you want to spend?
If you’re still unsure whether or not a VPN is right for you, talk to your supervisor or IT department. They may be able to recommend a good provider and help set up your account.
The Bottom Line
As you may know, many companies require their employees to use a VPN for work when accessing company resources. Cybersecurity has now become a priority of every company in this tech-evolving era.
There are valid reasons for doing this—protecting the company’s data and traffic from unauthorized access is one example, while ensuring that employees can’t access the information they’re not authorized to see is another.
While it might seem a hassle at first, using a VPN can make your work life considerably easier and more secure.
For more guides and information about online privacy and security, please browse through other articles on our blog, and don’t miss out!
