VPNs Are Not a Long-Term Solution for Remote Workers
The Myth of VPN
When businesses were forced to send their employees home due to COVID-19, they realized they needed technology to enable and secure remote employees. Many had to turn to a quick and easy solution in the form of a VPN. While VPN has its strengths, it is certainly not the ultimate solution that some have purported it to be.
VPNs are not a long-term solution for remote workers. It is more apt to say that VPNs used by remote workers will do more harm than good to businesses in the long term. There are much better solutions that can facilitate remote work, but before we go there, here are the reasons why you should consider other technology for your remote employees over a VPN.
What is a VPN?
VPN stands for a virtual private network. A VPN creates a secure and encrypted pathway through the internet. Picture a busy highway that has a closed-off lane that no cars can merge into. VPNs are not without their advantages as they are easy to set up and deploy. Their ability to encrypt data is also viable.
Now, one might be thinking: “If every YouTuber is recommending/sponsoring VPN, it must have its benefits.” This sentiment is correct. However, using a VPN on your laptop to stream movies in a foreign country is completely different from a remote employee using a VPN to connect to their company’s network to do work.
The Disadvantages of Having Remote Workers Use VPNs
A large number of companies had to have their employees use VPNs on their personal computers and laptops because A. It was too expensive to provide their whole staff with new computers/ laptops and B. It was one of the only options they had or knew about. Unfortunately, VPNs have several weaknesses.
Often, when a VPN is established, the user at the endpoint doesn’t have complete access to everything they need back on the company’s network. Moving files and running applications through a VPN is not always efficient and users will experience significant drops in performance, slow connection, and greater latency. As a result, productivity will take a hit.
The Risks of Having Remote Workers Use VPNs
Beyond a dip in productivity, the most concerning risk of remote workers relying on VPNs are the compliance violations. When a remote employee uses a VPN to connect to a company’s network, everything that is linked to the employee’s home environment is now a part of the company’s network. The Xbox, PS4, Smart TV, the toddler’s iPad, the teenager’s iPhone, and every other IoT device in the home, can now inadvertently spread their hidden viruses and malware right across the VPN to the company’s network.
During this season of remote work, threat actors know that businesses are vulnerable. Phishing schemes and watering hole attacks are more persistent than ever, and thousands of fake COVID-19 websites have been noted to pop up daily. These hostile players are aware that they can slip into a home network utilizing a child’s device or shady website and then ultimately make their way into a corporate network through unguarded pathways.
One last shortcoming of deploying VPNs to remote workers is that when the time finally comes where everyone can go back to the office, all the files and data that was used will remain back on all the employees’ home laptops and computers. Should the employee quit, or their device gets hacked, all that company data is completely exposed.
Alternative Solutions for Remote Workers
VPN is a viable solution, but it is not the best solution. VDI and DaaS are alternatives to VPN that can effectively enable and secure remote workers. We have written extensively on the topics of VDI and DaaS , but suffice to say that these solutions are inexpensive to set up and offer better security.
Virtual desktops offer greater security than a VPN because the only thing being transferred between the home and office networks are keyboard strokes/ commands and screen refreshes. No data or files are going back and forth unless allowed.
With VDI and DaaS, productivity among remote workers will remain high. Employees will also have a seamless transition into their remote roles. Effortless Office commented that amongst their customers, who they had sold the VMware client, they had sent their employees home and had them continue working as if nothing had changed. The virtual desktop functioned the same way at home as it had in the office.
Conclusion
Though VPN has its uses and can be levied as a short-term solution for remote workers, it has long term implications such as security flaws and productivity shortcomings. Better solutions to enable remote workers are VDI and DaaS.
With over 250 suppliers, Conectrix has the means to assist your business in their transition to a partial or total remote workforce. If you are curious about VDI and DaaS or other connectivity technology, feel free to reach out to us.