VPN benefits for small businesses
Ensuring the data security of a small business is essential. Losing valuable information about your business or compromising your customers’ information can have dire consequences. One wrong move can make all the difference between building an excellent reputation and going out of business. Here’s how to keep your online data safe with a small investment.
What is a business VPN?
A business VPN is an online security solution that allows you to securely connect to your confidential data, applications, and resources from remote locations. It also creates a single shared network that you and your employees can connect to from different office locations.
Just like a regular VPN, it creates an encrypted virtual tunnel for your online traffic and hides your actual IP address, which means that no one can intercept your data or track your online activity, even if you are using a public Wi-Fi. If you want to protect your sensitive data, look into NordVPN’s solution for business to the supply chain and distribute malware throughout the network, which causes severe data breaches. which was created to address the online security needs of every company, large or small.
Why use a VPN for a small business?
Small businesses can benefit from the encryption and protection that a VPN provides. They face similar cybersecurity challenges as large businesses, but the difference is that they often have poorer cyberdefenses, less knowledge of threats, and less resources to strengthen their cybersecurity, which makes them an easy target for hackers. If any of the following statements is about you and your small business, you should consider using a VPN service right away.
- You are using an ad-hoc office. Let’s say you’re a freelancer who likes to work from a cafe and use the available Wi-Fi network to cut on costs, which is common among many entrepreneurs and employees of small businesses. However, since safe public Wi-Fi networks are rare, you should secure your online traffic with a VPN.
- Your employees work remotely. Having employees in different parts of the country, or even the world, is one important factor that can put small businesses at risk in terms of cybersecurity. However, transmitting data online while connected to different networks and without proper security precautions may lead to cyberattacks and data breaches.
A business VPN minimizes the above-mentioned threats. By encrypting your data that travels the web, a VPN protects your online traffic from snoopers and cybercriminals lurking on public networks, ready to intercept your information. It also allows your team members to securely connect to your company’s internal network from remote locations.
How can a VPN help a small business?
A VPN is essential for your small business if you want to protect your and your clients’ data and avoid security threats that could cripple your business. Here are the main reasons why you should consider using a VPN service:
- Protection from cybercrime. According to the market research platform Statista, cybercrime is the leading risk for small businesses globally in 2023. It’s easy for hackers to gain access to unprotected computer systems and networks. A VPN service that provides strong encryption for the information you send across the internet is one of the ways to prevent hacking and protect your business from data breaches.
- Secure access from remote locations. A reliable business VPN provides secure access to the company’s internal network from remote locations. This is imperative to your small business if your employees work from different locations, even different countries, or if they travel a lot. A quality business VPN integrates seamlessly with your business’ platforms and protects all endpoints — computers, laptops, tablets, and phones.
- Easy access to geo-restricted content. If you or your team members go overseas, they might find it difficult or impossible to connect to the same online resources they connect to on a daily basis. Some countries in Asia and the Middle East restrict access to some social media sites and popular websites, which might hinder business operations for you and your team.
- Safe browsing for customers. If your business provides a Wi-Fi hotspot for clients, you must make sure the network is secured so that your clients’ data is protected. Using VPN services is one of the best ways for small businesses to secure customer data. A VPN routes the user’s data traffic through an encrypted tunnel and protects it from snoopers and intruders.
- One subscription for multiple users and devices. Most business VPN solutions offer various long-term subscriptions with different price points. One subscription is usually available for multiple users and devices, with the most advanced plans offering protection to an unlimited number of users and devices, along with unlimited data usage and a lot more VPN benefits.
A VPN service can significantly boost the digital security of your small business. We believe NordVPN’s solution for business — NordLayer — hits all these points with one of the strongest encryptions, focus on UX, great price point, and the ability to connect an unlimited number of devices under one account.