Last Updated on September 13, 2024
In the blink of an eye, large numbers of offices and businesses shut their doors. Employees took their laptops and desktops, went home, and resumed their jobs away from cubicles and constant supervision. Meetings, seminars, and conventions were stalled. A new era for the workforce has officially begun.
The World is Working from Home
The huge transition from office to remote work has affected millions of workers.
Many companies chose to let employees continue working from home just to avoid closure. Most of them had doubts regarding productivity. There are those who believed that individuals could be more distracted. But a good number of companies (27%) reported an increase in productivity compared to previous in-office set-ups. Some businesses (67%) said output remained more or less the same.
These numbers reflect how employees feel as well. About 38% surveyed reported that they can now find a better balance as they juggle work and home life. 49% said they feel freer to choose working hours. And 36% are opting not to return to their offices for the time being. Meanwhile, a whopping 65% of employees want to do remote work, even after the pandemic.
Regardless of what businesses choose to do in the future, there’s no denying that labor conditions are vastly different than before. And now that people know they have an alternative to the regular 9-to-5 grind, it won’t be surprising to see remote work and freelancing becoming the norm.
But with new ways of working mean new threats. And often, these issues are closer to home than we think.
Cybersecurity Threats from the Inside
There are definite advantages to working from home.
You get to spend a lot of time with your family or pets, you’re just a stone’s throw away from the kitchen, and it’s easy to take a peek at your favorite show when it’s on-air. But that’s exactly what hackers love about it. People tend to be more complacent regarding digital security because they’re in their private dwellings.
Work-from-home threats are real and they can often go undetected. Two of the most common dangers are unsecured connections and troublesome housemates. Add that to existing threats such as phishing emails and third-party updates and you’ve got yourself the makings of a data breach.
Unsecured home connections can lead to local snooping, especially if you leave your device unattended. Guests, children, or your spouse can have access to sensitive corporate information. This goes against many company policies because it compromises trade assets. What you need is a secure virtual private network (VPN) to keep your mind at ease.
How a Business VPN Works
A personal VPN is not the same as a corporate or business VPN.
A personal VPN is what you use for casually surfing the Web, or when you want to watch geo-restricted Netflix content from India. It’s handy to have around in case you plan on going online using the airport or hotel’s public Wi-Fi. For those using premium services such as NordVPN for instance, you also get to protect multiple devices and enjoy fast, reliable connection, thanks to dedicated servers.
NordLayer on the other hand, was created specifically for enterprises. Unlike a home VPN with limited connections, a virtual private network for businesses can make multiple connections from a single account at any given time. Users get static IP addresses as well, for fast and easy access to their offices’ remote networks. Most personal VPNs use dynamic IP addresses, which is shared with numerous other users.
When you connect to your company’s secure VPN, it’s like entering a tunnel so outside entities, such as hackers and spyware, can’t penetrate. They can’t see you or what information you’re accessing. This keeps assets safe from prying eyes. It makes things easier for your IT department, too. With a static IP address, they can quickly connect with you to solve tech-related issues or to make maintenance updates.
What to look for in a business VPN?
You don’t need to buy a corporate virtual private network for casual Web surfing. But if you have a small business with some or all employees working remotely, you may want to consider investing in one. While your needs will differ from other companies, most businesses need a VPN with the following features:
- Secure endpoints. Check that the service offers at least a 192- or 256-bit data encryption. This ensures that your company data are protected from even the most persistent hackers or brute force attempts.
- Seamless integration. Make sure to choose a provider that can integrate smoothly into most existing company networks and infrastructure. A plug-and-play system will get you protected in no time at all – which is crucial for fast-paced industries.
- User-friendliness. There should be little to no learning curve in setting it up as well as in using it. Look for convenience in the form of a unified Control Panel. From here, you should be able to manage permissions for all users and check billing details, too.
- Scalability. You want a service that grows with your company. Are you a team of 10 or 50? This shouldn’t pose a problem for your chosen VPN provider.
Don’t leave your company’s digital security to just any hands. Go for the best in the business.
NordLayer can simplify the way you protect your cloud environments and internal assets. From the world’s most trusted VPN brand, NordLayer offers cutting-edge protection for businesses in the new normal. Featuring AES 256-bit encryption and dedicated server infrastructure in 33 countries, your employees can securely access company information anywhere around the world.
Run your business as usual. With extensive global access, 24/7 expert support, plus single sign-on (SSO) integration with GSuite, Azure AD, and Okta, NordLayer is ready whenever you are.
What about freelancers?
Whether you’re a freelance writer, coder, project manager, or illustrator, a VPN will protect you wherever you choose to work. A virtual private network doesn’t just protect your data – it also safeguards your clients’ sensitive information. This is vital for those working with passwords, logins, and billing material.
Other benefits include:
- Access to geo-restricted content;
- Dedicated server for faster browsing; and
- Seamless security, regardless of device.
Depending on the company who hires you, as well as your nature of work, a regular home VPN will do just fine for most freelancing tasks. But you may want to talk to your management about getting a dedicated Office VPN, especially if you and your team are using the company’s remote network most of the time.
NordLayer can help you access corporate content quickly and securely, wherever you are in the world. And it works great on any major platform, from iOS, Windows, to Linux.
Not sure which product is right for you? Go to NordLayer and request a FREE consultation today.
