How to Set up a Small Business VPN?

Privacy & Security by Admin on March 22, 2023 add comment 1283 Views 12 min read

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Modern businesses need a presence in the digital space. So, most businesses maintain a website or social media page to engage the audience online. Likewise, as the trend for cloud storage keeps growing, the way we store data is also taking a new shape.

But for businesses, cloud storage and online presence come at a cost. In the past, there have been numerous cases of security breaches and data theft, causing severe financial and reputational damage to organizations.

Therefore, preserving online privacy and security is one of the top priorities for all businesses in this age. Since businesses must recognize the importance of online presence, they must work with the available tools to secure their data and provide a safer means for storage. This is where a VPN service can be a great option, especially for small-sized businesses.

Large enterprises are likely to buy specialized security services for their data. But being a small business, deploying a high-quality VPN service should be on your to-do list for enhancing security and online privacy.

This blog will focus on how small businesses can set up a VPN service. We will look at some critical aspects of VPN services to help you choose the right option for your business.

What is a Virtual Private Network?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a protected private network that helps users to surf the internet. A VPN has several attributes, such as encryption and IP masking, that make it impossible for cybercriminals and hackers to penetrate your network and extract any critical information from it.

VPN operations happen in real-time, which not only secures the data but also improves the connection speed. Since it provides a dedicated path on the internet, there is less traffic which means better speeds and ideal conditions for downloading files.

When a VPN operates, neither the internet service provider (ISP), web servers, nor third-party actors can access your location and identity. It encrypts your data which is hard to crack. So, even if someone gets hold of your data, they can’t take advantage of it.

The VPN operations are simplistic but easy to implement too. So, besides providing security, you can even start a VPN business.

Why Does Your Small Business Need a VPN?

Small businesses can make the most of VPN services by establishing affordable and customized protection protocols for their online data. Here are some main reasons to add a VPN to your small business.

VPN Services are Convenient

As the trend for remote work grows, your workers might often want to connect to your online services remotely. However, you should never trust the security of an unknown network. As a result, it becomes difficult for managers to provide access to critical business resources to remote users.

But having a VPN service can secure your business data, and you can provide access to remote users without worrying. So, it ensures there is no operational disruption and that your business keeps running even when the workers are not physically present.

Improved Security

Encryption and disguising identity features make VPNs more secure than regular networks. It protects the real geo-locations and IP addresses and prevents exposure to the public or shared networks. It keeps your network private and accessible only to those with the right to access information.

VPNs are Easy to Administer

Most VPN services are easy to configure, so you don’t need specialized networking knowledge to implement VPNs for your business. Now, there are dedicated VPN applications that users can download and use without technical support or setup.

Many top VPN services, like Ivacy White Label VPN services, can help you start a VPN business of your own. As a manager, managing the network and allowing access to different users is convenient. Knowing how to start a VPN service can inspire you towards a new business setup regardless of whether you have deep technical knowledge of VPNs.

Which features to consider when choosing a VPN

Due to the abundance of VPN services in the modern age, users are often spoiled for choices. It makes it harder for them to pick a service because most authentic VPN services offer high-quality features for the users. However, there are some critical features to consider when choosing an exemplary VPN service. Here is what you need to look at:

Connection Logging

Logging refers to keeping a record of all the connections that flow in and out of your VPN network. VPNs may record user IPs for audit purposes. However, logging functionalities often expose the user’s IP address making them discoverable to potential network intruders.

Therefore, it’s better to use VPNs with a no-log policy unless you don’t want to conduct VPN audits.

Centralized VPN Management

If you have more extensive data to protect on the internet, you will need more encryption keys to prevent data loss. Encryption keys further enhance your security. However, if you don’t document your protocols properly, it can lead to many complications in accessing data.

Cloud-Based or Self Hosted

VPN services are either hosted on-site or in the cloud. In terms of ease of use, cloud VPN services are better. Setting up these services, accessing the server via cloud apps, and managing remote access becomes more manageable. Moreover, cloud-based VPN services are convenient to scale up and require fewer IT resources than on-site servers and hosting options.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Business VPN

Whether you want a business VPN for your data or to start a VPN service, it’s essential to consider some significant factors while picking the right VPN option. Here are some of the critical aspects to consider.

Avoid Free VPNs

Free VPN services let you access the VPN without any charges. However, if you look closely, a free VPN service has no reason to provide entirely free operations to users. In a way, it compromises your security. Generally, free services log your internet activity and then sell it to third parties for personalized marketing.

Other than data logging, a free VPN service may compromise internet speed and limit features compared to other services.

Vendor Reputation

If you have heard of VPNs before, you might know the names of some top VPN providers. Generally, renowned VPN providers have a better reputation because of their services and excellent user experiences. So, it’s better to trust such services for your small business.

On the other hand, there are VPN services with relatively limited experience in the field, which puts a question mark on their quality of services and security.

In such cases, it’s better to request transparency in services and previous experiences from the vendor to build your trust in the products.

Don’t Trust All Reviews

Almost every VPN website has a user reviews section. Many ‘satisfied’ customers share their positive reviews and product feedback there. However, many are paid reviews to leverage the service compared to others. Understandably, it doesn’t truly represent the quality of services, so checking the vendor’s reputation via unbiased review platforms is essential.

Check Provider’s Home Country

Every VPN service has a headquarter in its home country. So, checking their policy for collecting, storing, and providing user data to the authorities is essential. A VPN service may share your critical business information without your consent. Ultimately it leads to compromising data privacy and leaves you vulnerable at the hands of others. Therefore, it’s essential to have a full background check to ensure that your data is limited to your network and those who have authorized access.

How to Setup VPN for Small Business Environments

Now that you know why you need a VPN, here are some simple steps to set up your business VPN.

Understand Your VPN Requirements

A VPN connection setup should start with a basic understanding of your business needs. Consider why you need a VPN and what you plan to do with it. Next, figure out the following details for your connection.

The number of users that require VPN access will help you evaluate your budget and the number of devices you need for VPN configuration.
Types of devices that you want to grant access to.
The applications that you want to use on your VPN.
The type of security required for user data.

Pick a VPN Service Provider

After evaluating your VPN needs, it’s time to look for a reliable VPN service provider. It cannot be obvious, mainly when so many service providers exist. However, knowing a quality VPN service’s essential features and characteristics can help you choose the best service.

Therefore, you must pick services that offer primary elements like encryption, reliable customer support, and multiple servers for better reliability.

For instance, services like Ivacy VPN have a reputable name in the market because of reliable performance and top-notch security services having multiple VPN servers in more than 60 countries globally.

Set up Your VPN Server

After picking up the VPN server, it’s time to set it up. You can either use an on-premise or cloud server or third-party service providers. However, regardless of your chosen server, maintain the security levels.

Your server must meet the security requirements handling the users and devices that connect to the networks after it’s established.

Configure Your VPN Client

After setting up the server, you need to configure your VPN client. Here, you must configure the VPN on all devices for private and secure access. It can involve installing software and configuring the app manually.

Test the VPN

Before granting access to general users, checking the VPN for security vulnerabilities and possible changes is a good idea. It helps address any complications and errors in your VPN setup and helps your employees enjoy flawless connectivity.

Test the VPN: Before allowing users to connect, test it thoroughly to ensure it works correctly. Check for any configuration errors, security vulnerabilities, or connectivity issues. Once configured, the client can securely connect to the VPN server.

Train VPN Users

Training your users is a critical part of a flawless VPN setup process. Ensure that your employees and anyone wanting to connect to the VPN are well-trained. They must know how to:

Connect to the VPN
Use the VPN securely
Troubleshoot any problems while connecting.

Think About Your Security Requirements

When setting up a VPN for your business, you must know what type of security you want. For instance, if you don’t have any remote workers and operate on a local area network for file sharing, a VPN may not be needed for security reasons. Instead, you can use a VPN best to boost your internet connectivity.

However, if you want to secure your business information, think of what levels of security you need. For instance, do you want to grant public VPN access to all employees, or do you need hierarchical permissions for various cloud-based tools?

The bottom line is that you need a thorough understanding of your security requirements. However, if you need help figuring out what works best for you, trusted names like Ivacy VPN can help you estimate the VPN requirements for your business.

When to use VPN?

The idea of a VPN service is intriguing, but knowing when to use it is important. But do you need a VPN every time? What are the ideal conditions for using a VPN? Here are a few quick tips on when to use a VPN.

A VPN can ensure long-term protection if your business has sensitive information.
When remote workers and employees live far away, a VPN can help them connect remotely from any location.
If you want to cut off any chances of third-party intruders accessing any information on the cloud.
A VPN can boost your connectivity due to dedicated network paths to enhance your internet speed.

Work with Ivacy to implement a business VPN

While setting up a business VPN is pretty easy, trusting the right services is critical for flawless, long-term data security and privacy preservation. So, when you work with VPN services like Ivacy, you can rest assured that your business data is safe.

From understanding your preferences to providing tailor-made VPN solutions, Ivacy provides reliable encryption and IP masking services for users.

Moreover, if you want to start a white-label VPN service by your brand name, Ivacy VPN can also provide the proper assistance in setting up your VPN business.

Conclusion

Using a VPN service has many advantages, especially for small businesses. They provide convenience and privacy and are often cost-effective because of their scalability according to the business size. Moreover, due to the abundance of VPN services, there is a new niche for white-label VPN services to help you create your brand. Hence reliable services like Ivacy VPN can be a good starting point for setting up your VPN brand.

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