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Whitepaper
Business VPN: What are your options?
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How and why businesses use VPN is a fascinating topic.
If you know what VPN services are, then you already know there are plenty of things to debate. Different businesses leverage different features above others – it all depends on the nature of your operations. But there is one thing pretty much everyone can agree on: VPNs can be incredibly beneficial.
If you don’t know what VPN services are, the topic is just one more mysterious IT-related acronym. And frankly, there are so many of those, you may not even bother asking what VPN is, why you would want one, or how it could help.
This article will solve all of that for you.
In just a few minutes’ time, we’ll share a plain-English explanation of what VPN is, why you might want one, a few of the potential drawbacks, and how to pick one.
What is a VPN?
VPN stands for “virtual private network.” When you use a VPN to access web-based services, it’s like you’re operating on your very own private network (like the local network at your office) instead of on the world wide web.
All your internet traffic is encrypted. No one can see your browsing history. Websites and online applications can’t even tell where you’re located.
Using a VPN is as simple as adjusting a few settings in Windows 10. Then all your internet traffic is routed through the VPN service and you can simply browse the web like you normally would. It’s a set-it-and-forget-it kind of service. Once it’s set up, you don’t have to make any radical changes to your routine.
“Enabling a VPN allows users to encrypt their online activity so no Internet Service provider, government entity, hacker or otherwise can access their personal data—net neutrality or no net neutrality.”
-Engadget
Why use a business VPN?
The advantages of using a VPN service are mostly tied to cybersecurity—which makes sense given what a VPN does.
Here we list four specific ways a VPN service boosts security, along with a couple of other advantages that aren’t security-related.
Better data protection
Let’s start with the big one. As mentioned above, a VPN service encrypts your data. All of your data. Any information sent via a VPN service is protected at a much higher level.
While there are advantages to this even when you’re working from your office, the biggest advantages come when you’re accessing things remotely. If you or your team travel, a VPN connection is a must-have. Especially if you make use of public Wi-Fi connections.
Public Wi-Fi, while convenient, is incredibly unsafe. It’s alarmingly easy for others to see your web traffic, including the data you send and receive. A VPN service stops that kind of activity dead in its tracks, making public Wi-Fi the convenient, safe option it should be.
“ . . . a personal VPN service lets your IT staff essentially deploy a secure remote access fabric without having to drop a dime on expensive networking gear.”
– PC Mag
Top-notch privacy
Not only does a VPN encrypt your data, adding a layer of protection, but it also hides your browsing history. When you access the internet using a VPN, no one—not even your ISP—can see what sites you visit.
That may not be a big deal to you, but for some users the idea that others can see their web traffic is upsetting. A VPN makes your activities completely private.
True access from anywhere
There are other things your ISP can’t see in addition to your browsing activity—things like your location.
Why does that matter? Because some sites are restricted based on location. If you don’t do any business traveling, this won’t be a significant perk to you. But if you travel for work, especially overseas, it’s good to know you won’t lose access to any site or service you normally use at home in the States.
A VPN will make it seem like you’re still located in the US, even when you’re abroad.
No more bandwidth throttling
Some ISPs track how much data you use for specific activities, adjusting your available top speed for those activities. For example, they may slow down your speed for downloading large files or streaming video. They do this to help with network congestion . . . and sometimes to convince you to purchase a more expensive plan.
A VPN can stop a lot of bandwidth throttling. Since your ISP can’t see your activity, they’ll have no idea what activities your usage is associated with. You’ll get the same speed for downloading files that you get for browsing because your ISP can’t tell the difference.
What are the downsides to using a VPN?
Unfortunately, there are a couple of disadvantages to using a VPN. Overall, they’re minor and we still recommend a VPN, especially for remote access. But it’s only fair to share some of the drawbacks, too.
Slower browsing
Generally speaking, you shouldn’t see a significant drop in internet speed, but a VPN service does route your traffic through itself to provide all the benefits listed above. That means it’s always possible you’ll take a mild hit to your internet speed.
Connection issues
Once a VPN service is set up, it’s usually hassle-free in actual use. But setting one up can sometimes be a pain. Connection issues can make your initial experience with a VPN service unpleasant.
To get around these, we recommend you contact your managed IT services provider for help setting up any new VPN service.
VPN services aren’t free
Like most of the IT tools your business relies on, VPN services aren’t free. In fact, you tend to get what you pay for, so going for a bargain-basement VPN service may be more hassle than it’s worth.
We have some recommendations for finding a decent VPN service below.
Some VPN services don’t work on every device
Finally, some VPN services won’t work on every type of OS. Smartphones, tablets and Chromebooks may limit your VPN options.
Just make sure the service you select works for the operating systems you rely on.
The best business VPN services
Finding the best VPN service for your business is both straightforward and tricky.
It’s straightforward because it really is just a matter of seeing what’s available in your area, what works for how you do business, and what’s within your budget for the number of users who will need VPN access. It’s tricky because there are a lot of VPN service providers.
We recommend one of the following two approaches for finding your ideal VPN service.
Do your homework
This is one of those IT projects you can tackle on your own if you have a bit of time and if you don’t already work with a managed IT services provider. But be aware—it will take some time.
There are some solid guides out there on VPN services for business use. We like this one provided by CNET. It’s up-to-date and it has some good info on some of the top providers. However, you’ll want to take a closer look at any potential VPN partners before you make a final selection.
Check their websites. Cross-compare features, benefits and costs. And, of course, read all the fine print before making your final decision.
Talk to your IT support provider
If you’re working with a managed IT services provider, this is absolutely something you should ask for their help with. There’s a good chance they’ve already done all the legwork and can make an immediate recommendation.
Not only that, but they’ll be able to get you all set up for VPN access so you don’t have to mess around with any of the potential connection issues.
Either way, a business VPN is a good option for SMBs, especially if you do any work from your mobile devices.
Keep reading: Business continuity: A crash course
5 reasons why you need a backup service, even if you’re using Office 365
Enterprises around the world continue to move key applications to the cloud. But the speed and scope of migration presenting new challenges regarding data protection, service delivery, and compliance.
While most organizations have developed robust on-premises backup solutions, the failure to protect cloud data and ensure the availability of key services is widespread and incredibly alarming.
Contrary to popular belief, Office 365 and other software as a service (SaaS) models provide no real internal backup solutions.
While Microsoft has sound internal security and is capable of managing Office 365 infrastructure, third-party services are needed to ensure comprehensive data protection and compliance. Let’s take a look at 5 key reasons why you need a dedicated backup service when you’re using Office 365.
Protection against internal accidents and threats
Regardless of how careful you are with your data, accidents can and do happen. Whether it’s the accidental deletion of a user, the incorrect merging of fields, or the failure of a key service, accidental deletion can be replicated across an entire network and lead to serious problems.
Simple accidents have been responsible for serious damage over the last few years, with an outage on Amazon Web Services costing up to $150 million dollars in 2017.
A backup service can restore data and services quickly and with minimum disruption, either to the on-premise Exchange or the Office 365 cloud network. In addition, dedicated backup services can protect you against internal security threats and manage the risk of malicious data loss or destruction.
Protection against external security threats
Along with internal security threats, many businesses have experienced a rise in malware, viruses, data theft and other security threats from the outside.
Kaspersky blocked almost 800 million attacks from online resources across the globe in the first quarter of 2018 alone.
While Microsoft 365 and other cloud suites do have some security controls, they’re not robust or reliable enough to handle every case scenario. Having access to a high-grade, third-party backup service is the best way to reduce your exposure and manage the risks associated with data loss and destruction.
Retention and recovery management
Cloud-based services are popular for many reasons, with Office 365 and other solutions featuring better integration between applications, more efficient data exchange and delivery, and the ability to utilize transparent services regardless of location.
Many of these benefits come at a cost, however, with enterprises losing control over data retention and recovery.
While Office 365 does have its own retention policies, they are ever-changing and difficult to manage. In fact, confusing and inaccessible data retention is one of the reasons why so many businesses refuse to move to the cloud.
You can have the best of both worlds with backup solutions that provide you with complete control over data retention and recovery management.
Legal and compliance obligations
In addition to running a business and ensuring access to key data and services, organizations have a responsibility to meet certain legal and compliance obligations.
A cloud backup service allows you to retrieve important data instantly and with minimal disruption to critical business systems.
Whether it’s retrieving user data for law enforcement, accessing your mailbox during a legal action, or meeting regulatory compliance standards, dedicated cloud backup makes it easier to meet your responsibilities.
Managing the migration process
With more businesses moving to the cloud all the time, the migration process is often presented as a seamless and natural transition.
While the benefits of SaaS are valid and well-known, managing hybrid email deployments and other critical services during migration can be more challenging than Microsoft would have you believe.
Whether you want a dedicated cloud solution or a mix of Office 365 and on-premises services, backup solutions like Veeam (our recommended solution) allow you to protect and manage your data during and after the transition in a way that makes the source location irrelevant.
The post 5 reasons why you need a backup service, even if you’re using Office 365 appeared first on ISG Technologies.
Source: my isg
The SMB Quick Guide for Upgrading Office Technology
“Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have—and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.”
— James Belasco & Ralph Stayer, Flight of the Buffalo
If you run a small business, you already know two things about change. One, it’s inevitable. And two, it’s hard.
One would think that the inevitable nature of change would eventually make it easier to stomach, but that just doesn’t seem to be the case. In fact, a couple of years ago McKinsey & Company reported that (at that time) an overwhelming “70% of change programs fail to achieve their goals, largely due to employee resistance and lack of management support.” (We suspect the number isn’t much lower today.)
But when you consider why change is so hard, that makes sense.
The Science of Change
As a recent article in Forbes pointed out, the default human response to change is fear. In a more primitive time, change often meant danger. Our ancestors survived because they feared change.
While that’s fascinating in its own right, it’s also frustrating. If you’re a business owner and you’re ready to upgrade your office technology, you have to also be ready to deal with how your staff will handle change. It’s not as simple as just saying, “We’re using these applications now.” Frankly, that never works.
No, if you want to lead your company through a change in office technology, you need to be prepared.
The Office Technology Revolution
But why change anything? If the tools you’re using now are working, why not just keep using them? Because the way we do business is changing.
It’s hardly a secret that cloud adoption is steadily growing. Gartner predicts that we’re just a few years away from the day when the vast majority of businesses will rely on cloud services of some kind.
If your office technology is still primarily onsite, it’s time to consider a shift. Cloud solutions offer multiple advantages over local hardware and software, including improved flexibility, scalable growth, remote access and (in many cases) cost savings.
Changing Office Technology
Of course, that leads us back to the problem we started with. If it’s in your best interest to consider upgrading your current office technology to cloud-based solutions—and it is—then how do you go about doing that successfully?
At ISG, we’ve gone to great pains to make it as easy as possible to shift your office technology to the cloud. Not only do we take care of all the technological legwork, but we’ll even help your employees acclimate, too.
All of this is possible with our Modern Office Foundation bundle. Here’s how it works.
Top-tier Tools
Our Modern Office bundle comes with the very best office technology tools available. At the top of that list is Microsoft Office 365.
Office 365 is the premier productivity suite because it’s a powerful, robust tool that includes everything your business needs to stay on top of your projects. There’s cloud-based email, standard applications like Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as top communication and collaboration solutions like Teams, Sharepoint and OneNote.
And you’ll get it all with the Modern Office Foundation bundle.
Seamless Transition
No matter how good the tools, if transitioning from your current solutions to new office technology is rough, your employees aren’t likely to see the value. That’s why working with a skilled partner like ISG Technology is so important.
We’ll take care of your implementation, allowing for a hassle-free adoption period. Trust us—you’ll be glad you didn’t tackle this on your own.
Employee Training & Support
A lot of our competitors offer some kind of migration service. That’s not terribly unique. But what really sets us apart is our employee education and support.
We offer monthly Innovation Training sessions to ensure your staff gets the most possible value out of your office technology tools. In addition to that, our help desk support is second to none. It doesn’t matter if one of your employees is dealing with something as simple as a lost password or something more complex, we’ll be there.
And because our approach is both proactive (through training) and reactive (through support), you’ll always be covered.
The Right Kind of Change
Office technology is changing. While it can be tough to keep up, ISG’s Modern Office Foundation bundle makes it a lot easier.
If you’d like more information about our Modern Office Foundation bundle, feel free to contact us today. We’ll be happy to show you how we can help upgrade your office technology without any hangups.