By 
The emergence of internet has reshaped the human society. It has changed how we communicate and build relationships.
One significant impact of the internet has been on the trade and commerce. Businesses now conduct financial transactions, maintain databases and build profitable customer base all through digital means.
Internet has reduced both the cost and time required for these business functions. However, it has also made businesses vulnerable to threats of various degrees.
Protecting Your Business in the Information Age
We all know that the internet is flooded with dangerous threats. Hackers, scammers, identity thieves are lurking the digital world waiting to get their on someone’s sensitive information.
Businesses are especially on the target of malicious individuals who are seeking to gain financial benefit through nefarious means.
Moreover, companies that allow employees to work remotely are more at risk as their network can be hacked by outsiders.
If an organization does end up losing its data, it can suffer both financially and otherwise.
Hence, the best course of action in this scenario is to secure your connection by all the means necessary.
VPN to the Rescue
Three words are the key to securing your business on the online world; Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). VPNs allow you to conduct transactions, communicate and browse on the web with optimum security.
If you take interest in digital privacy, you might know how VPNs work. Following are their core functions:
- Masking your IP address and hiding your location
- Providing you access to geo-limited websites
- Securing your connection from cyber snoopers
- Protecting your sensitive information
While managing a business, it is unwise to take no precautions regarding your digital security. Doing so is just like leaving your shop open at night, hoping no one would steal the merchandise.
VPNs provide much needed protection to organizations. However, business managers should put in some research before selecting a VPN provider.
Selecting an Appropriate VPN for Your Organization
To choose the best possible VPN service for your company, there few things you should keep in consideration.
Server Coverage
Many organizations utilize VPNs to monitor their marketing campaigns in different regions. For this, they need a VPN that can provide them with IP addresses of these locations.
As of now, NordVPN provides the most extensive server list in the entire VPN market. According to this review of NordVPN, it has 4800+ servers in 62 countries.
There are also other VPNs that provide a vast network of servers but so far, NordVPN has the lead.
Logging Policy
One of the main goals of VPNs is to stop your data from getting into the wrong hands.
Hence, you have to make sure that the provider is not keeping a record of your online activity.
To do this, thoroughly read the privacy policy of your respective VPN provider. Most Virtual Area Network services are clear about what information they store and for what reason.
Pricing Plans
As a manager, you have several budget constraints. Specially, if you are running a SME, you have limited resources on your hands. This is why you need to take price of a VPN into consideration.
Luckily, many VPN services offer special pricing plans for businesses. You can avail tremendous discounts by opting for these plans. Do not, I repeat, Do not, in any case use a free VPN.
Free VPNs are often scams. They are the exact opposite of what a VPN is supposed to be. In many cases, they record your information and sell it too third parties for profit. Some cheap VPNs engage in this practice too.
Therefore, be warry of your budget whilst choosing a VPN but never go for a free or cheap option.
Security Features
VPNs need several tools in their arsenal to protect you against malware, hackers and other harmful entities.
The most important feature of a VPN is its security protocol. A capable protocol adds an added layer of security on your connection.
OpenVPN is one of the more capable protocols as it supports a military-grade 256-bit encryption. So be sure to look out for it in your chosen VPN.
In contrast, PPTP is a protocol that is considered obsolete and is not even recommended by its creators. Hence, avoid it altogether.
Another important feature in a VPN is a kill switch. It saves your information from being leaked when your VPN connection gets disturbed.
Lastly, many VPNs also offer NAT firewall which take your online security to a whole new levels. These firewalls ensure that no threatening material ends up on your network.
Data Limit
When you are selecting an appropriate VPN for your company, take note of the data capacity being offered. Failing to do this may result in you reaching the data limit in middle of an important task.
All the top VPN providers in the internet offer unlimited bandwidth. This means you will not have to worry about this factor while using their service.
Compatibility
Always check for the devices your VPN provider supports. In particular, if your need a VPN to connect with your home network, you require a VPN router.
Many VPNs offer their custom-built router while other can be set up on conventional routers.
In addition to this, if you are using Mac or Linux, do make sure that your VPN is compatible with these operating systems.
You may also be well advised to select a VPN with Android and iPhone compatibility if you use for phone for business purposes.
Conclusion
A VPN service is necessary to safeguard the confidential information of your organization.
However, do your research before spend your valuable resource on a VPN providers. To avoid being scammed by a fraud service, I would suggest that you read some VPN reviews.
By equipping yourself with proper knowledge, you can easily select the best VPN for privacy needs.
The key factors to look in a VPN are server coverage, security protocols, compatibility and data limit. Make sure that you evaluate the VPN based on these factors.
