Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are not new to you. You’ve done a lot of research into them to answer the question, “Are VPNs worth it?”. You’ve learned about how a VPN is an indispensable tool for anyone who takes their privacy and security seriously. However, for some reason, you haven’t started using one. Perhaps you’re too busy with work and you have no time for online gaming, social networking, and streaming Netflix among other activities for which VPNs are popular.
Well, it just so happens that these are not the only reasons the use of VPNs is becoming increasingly widespread. Whether you recently switched from working at the office to remote working, or you’re a freelancer who goes back and forth between working at home and at your favorite coffee shop, a VPN can be extremely useful to you. The same goes if you’re a virtual assistant or you’re taking some days off from the head office to work from home.
Below are five reasons why any person working from a remote location should do so using a virtual private network.
1. It’s more affordable than commuting.
This may come as a surprise to many but setting up a workspace at home and connecting to your company’s network using a VPN is more affordable than commuting. This is true even if you take into account the subscription cost of the VPN and the cost of electricity. It’s even better if the IT department at your company has configured a VPN that directly connects your computer to the corporate network.
Think about all the preparations you must do before leaving for work in the morning. There are several interruptions that may occur, making you arrive late to the office, not least of which is traffic. That is certainly not the ideal way to begin a productive day of work. Investing in a high-quality VPN service eliminates not only the financial cost of the commute but also its psychological cost.
2. It improves your productivity.
The overall experience of working from the comfort of your personal space or at that table you like at your favorite coffee shop or at a desk beside other creatives at a trendy co-working space is far superior than slaving away day after day at the same drub cubicle at your company’s offices. Self-motivated and driven employees who work from a remote location get a lot more work done than their counterparts at the office.
Furthermore, once you identify a top VPN provider that can guarantee maximum privacy and security as you go about your online work activities, you need not spend time trying to find a coffee shop or co-working space with a secure Wi-Fi network. The peace of mind you get eliminates one of your main distractions and boosts your productivity.
3. It gives you remote access to your company’s network.
One of the biggest concerns of organizations when deciding whether or not to allow their employees to work remotely is how vulnerable the arrangement will leave the organization’s network. Whether an employee is responsible for developing staff policies or simply planning a team schedule, it is imperative that their connection to the corporate network be impervious to the breaching attempts by hackers.
It is, therefore, necessary that the IT team at your company create a VPN with top-level encryption to make sure that company files are secure. Consult your colleagues in IT on the best VPN service and carry out your own research to be sure you make an educated decision about which service to use.
If you’re an entrepreneur and have some of the members of your staff working remotely, allowing them to connect to your business’s network unsecured would be highly irresponsible as it would open you up to hackers. Take time to access the needs of your company’s networks in terms of privacy/security, speed, reliability, budget, etc. and identify a VPN service that best suits those needs.
Ensuring that you and your employees have highly reliable and secure remote access to your business’s network is among the most important investments you can make in the modern tech-driven business environment.
4. Securely use RDP to access your PC at the workplace.
As you read this, some of the concerns that may come to mind are how you’re going to remotely access your work PC? The good news is that, among VPN alternatives, by using a tool referred to as the Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), you can create a remote connection with your desktop at the workplace. Several variations are available for RDP. However, here we look specifically at the Windows version as an example.
Once you set up a VPN, you need not worry about the remote desktop server being directly exposed to the Internet. Instead, when you are away from your workstation at the company offices, you can use a VPN to make a secure connection, and your laptop will act as if it’s part of the corporate network when you use RDP.
This way, you can use RDP and other services that are usually available only on your company’s network. When it comes to using RDP, using a VPN is the most secure method, and it’s easy to operate, provided you have the right tools.
5. It offers protection when you’re on an unsecure public Wi-Fi.
The freedom to set up your office anywhere you please is among the main benefits of being a freelancer. Various options are available, including coffee shops, local libraries, local parks, and bookstores. Ask freelancers what the main thing is which they consider when choosing a place to work and many will tell you free Wi-Fi.
The numerous threats that lurk in free Wi-Fi hotspots have been well-documented over the years. They include software installed in devices and tailored to sniff unencrypted traffic to uncover vulnerabilities. The last thing you want is a stranger getting access to your work account using attacks such as man-in-the-middle attacks.
Additionally, don’t be fooled into thinking that just because you are paying for access to a public Wi-Fi network or because it is password secured, it must be safe. The rule of thumb on which you should operate is that if the Internet connection is not yours, meaning you have no control over it, then you should connect to it using a VPN.
Final Thoughts.
It is important for us to mention that whatever measures you choose to take regarding the security of your remote connection to your corporate network, remember to always adhere to the IT policies of your employer. This should be easy because we assume that you have not only read and understood them, but you also consulted you IT department before setting up a VPN.
