Remote Work Success: Navigating COVID-19 with Scalable VPN Solutions
Remote User VPN
Work from anywhere, Work Smart | Article
Anywhere, Anytime: Redefining Work with Scalable VPN Solutions
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations worldwide faced unprecedented challenges as they navigated abrupt shifts to remote work setups. However, those equipped with scalable VPN solutions for their remote workforce emerged as resilient pillars in the face of adversity. These organizations, having invested in preparedness and equipped their infrastructure with scalable VPN solutions, weathered the storm with minimal disruption to their day-to-day operations.
‘Navigating the New Normal: Secure VPNs for a Remote Workforce’
The ability to swiftly transition to remote work without sacrificing productivity or compromising security became paramount during the pandemic. Organizations with scalable VPN solutions were well-positioned to facilitate this transition seamlessly. By providing secure remote access to corporate networks and resources, these VPN solutions enabled employees to easily work from anywhere, ensuring business continuity amidst the lockdowns and restrictions.
One key advantage of scalable VPN solutions was their ability to accommodate the surge in remote users and traffic demands during the pandemic. With sufficient bandwidth and scalability built into their VPN infrastructure, organizations could effectively support the increased load from remote employees accessing corporate resources from various locations. This ensured that employees could connect to critical systems, collaborate with colleagues, and carry out their responsibilities without encountering performance bottlenecks or connectivity issues.
Furthermore, the security provided by VPN solutions played a crucial role in safeguarding sensitive data and protecting organizations from cyber threats during the remote work transition. By encrypting data transmitted between remote devices and corporate networks, VPNs ensured that communications remained confidential and protected from interception or eavesdropping. Additionally, VPNs enforced access controls and authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized users from gaining entry to corporate networks, thereby mitigating the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access.
The COVID-19 pandemic served as a stark reminder of the importance of being prepared for unexpected disruptions and having robust infrastructure in place to support remote work scenarios. Every organization, irrespective of size or industry, needs to prioritize investment in secure and scalable VPN solutions to ensure resilience and continuity in the face of future challenges. By embracing scalable VPN solutions, organizations can empower their workforce to work from anywhere, safeguard their data, and maintain operational efficiency, regardless of external circumstances. As remote work becomes increasingly prevalent in the post-pandemic world, the significance of secure, scalable VPN solutions will only continue to grow, making them an indispensable asset for organizations striving to thrive in the digital age.
What shall we do? We think you can find most of the answers below.
‘Beyond Borders: The Evolution of Remote User VPNs in a Changing World’
Navigating the World of VPNs: A Comprehensive Guide to Remote Access Solutions
In today’s interconnected world, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) come in various flavours, offering flexible and platform-independent solutions for secure remote access. Whether it’s SSL VPNs, IPSec VPNs, or other proprietary VPN technologies, the interoperability between different vendors allows for seamless connections across diverse network environments. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of remote access VPNs has been underscored, serving as a lifeline for organizations and individuals forced to adapt to remote work setups.
Recognizing that not all businesses may have implemented remote access VPN solutions, it’s imperative to bridge this gap quickly to ensure business continuity and productivity. In the following paragraphs, we’ll delve into the essential steps for setting up and configuring remote access VPNs, providing actionable insights and practical guidance without delving into technical jargon.
Types of VPN
There is a wide variety of VPNs, but in this blog, we will concentrate only on the first two.
– Remote Access VPN (IPSec) – requires software to be installed on the user device – ‘a VPN client.’
– SSL VPN (Secure Sockets Layer) – is a web-based solution. The user authenticates on the company portal and the tunnel is established
– Site-to-Site VPN between corporate offices or 3rd party businesses
– L2TP, Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol, can be used for remote access, but not very common
– PPTP, Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol, as above
– DMVPN, Dynamic Multipoint VPN, in use within corporate satellite offices without the hub
– GETVPN, Group Encrypted Transport VPN, supports multicast
What is a Remote Access VPN leveraging IPSec protocol?
A Remote Access VPN (Virtual Private Network) utilizing IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) is a secure communication tunnel established between a remote user’s device and a corporate network over the Internet. This technology enables remote users, such as employees or contractors, to securely access resources, applications, and data hosted on the corporate network from anywhere with internet connectivity. IPSec, a suite of protocols, ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of data transmitted over the VPN tunnel by encrypting and encapsulating IP packets.
Authentication mechanisms, such as pre-shared keys or digital certificates, verify the identities of both the remote user and the VPN gateway, preventing unauthorized access. Remote Access VPNs using IPSec provide a seamless and secure means for remote users to connect to corporate resources while maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive data, making them an essential component of modern remote work infrastructure.
‘From Home Offices to Global Connectivity: The Rise of Remote User VPNs’
What is an SSL VPN?
SSL VPN, or Secure Socket Layer Virtual Private Network, is a remote access technology that provides secure access to corporate resources over the Internet. Unlike traditional VPNs that rely on dedicated client software, SSL VPNs utilize web browsers to establish encrypted connections between remote users and the corporate network. This technology leverages the SSL/TLS protocol, commonly used for securing web transactions, to create a secure tunnel for transmitting data between the user’s device and the VPN gateway. SSL VPNs offer a user-friendly experience, as they can be accessed from any device with a compatible web browser, eliminating the need for additional software installations.
Additionally, SSL VPNs provide granular access controls, allowing administrators to define policies based on user roles, applications, or resources and enforce authentication mechanisms to ensure secure access. With its ease of use, flexibility, and robust security features, SSL VPN has become popular for organizations seeking to enable remote work and provide secure access to corporate resources from anywhere.
What is important
As with any network infrastructure, several key elements need to be implemented. We would like to emphasise the most important;
– dynamic routing needs to be in place for the VPN; users will need to access many resources. Access to a few servers won’t be enough
– dedicated bandwidth needs to be allocated to the Internet for VPN
– dedicated routers/firewalls/concentrators need to be used, with a hardware VPN encryption module; this will offload the CPU and provide faster access
– resilient devices need to be deployed, either in Active/Active or Active/Standby configuration
– once user VPN Tunnel’ lands’ on the company network, subsequently traffic needs to be inspected by the firewall before is allowed any further
– ideally, NAC, Network Admission Control should also check that user devices are up to date in terms of patching and antivirus
Below, Figure 1.1 outlines a typical Remote Access VPN, which can be configured as Active/Active or Active/Standby.
‘Network Diagram, providing an overview on how remote users connect to enterprise network.’
What hardware/software?
VPN uses encryption and decryption of data that is very CPU intensive. Whether this is a router, firewall or VPN concentrator, it has to have a VPN module dedicated to this task. That will provide a much better experience for end-users, especially in high volumes. There are several VPN clients, and that will be determined by the termination hardware, i.e. Cisco VPN Client, Pulse Secure, etc. In the case of SSLVPN, this is usually done via Java Applet.
Resilient at least 2x VPN Routers must be installed so users have a fall-back option. Once the VPN Remote Access service is deployed, users tend to rely heavily on it. Who doesn’t check something later in the evening or at the weekend?
How to secure it?
VPN Tunnel encrypts traffic between a user and the corporate network, but traffic has to be filtered before it enters the LAN (Local Area Network). A rigorous firewall policy needs to govern that. Hashing and encryption must be too robust to comply with the standards.
What about VPN split tunnelling?
VPNs can be configured to allow split tunnelling (but not advisable), where only traffic intended for the corporate network tunnels through the VPN. Anything else, like Internet browsing and streaming video, will utilise local user connection (i.e. home broadband). The big problem is that sophisticated tools don’t filter this traffic at the corporate network, which is a concern. A remote user device can be infected via internet attacks, spreading the infection into corporate data.
Our view is that all data needs to be encrypted for remote users. Upgrade bandwidth or add access in multiple business locations if bandwidth is an issue.
Benefits
Users don’t have to come to the workplace in case of a disaster or pandemic. Additionally, it allows them to work from any location or home if they don’t fancy commuting, while businesses save on expensive office space.
How much bandwidth is needed?
It is challenging to put an exact figure as each business and user will have various requirements.
With 500 users using multiple devices and high expected usage, we predict your required bandwidth to be approximately 89 Mb/s.
Please calculate for yourself using Check PSAV – Bandwidth Calculator.
How can we help your business?
Please look at our Case Study Edge—High Availability VPN LAN-to-LAN Service. We have deployed many VPN solutions and would be happy to advise and assist you.
Should you have any questions, please get in touch with us: at hello@v500.com
‘Adapting to Change: The Role of VPNs in Remote Work Strategies’
Case Study: Empowering Productivity Through VPN Remote Access
In this case study, we confronted the challenge of enhancing productivity and work-life balance for a dispersed workforce of Actuaries. Recognizing the limitations imposed by lengthy commutes and the need for greater flexibility, we embarked on a transformative journey to implement VPN remote access solutions. Our goal was clear: to enable hundreds of Actuaries to work more efficiently and effectively, regardless of geographical location.
By establishing VPN remote access capabilities, we unlocked a world of possibilities for our workforce. Actuaries gained the freedom to connect securely to the company’s systems, applications, and databases from any location with internet access. This newfound flexibility eliminated the time wasted on commuting and allowed Actuaries to optimize their work schedules, leading to increased productivity and job satisfaction.
Moreover, the benefits extended beyond the professional realm. Actuaries were able to strike a healthier work-life balance, spending more quality time with their families while still meeting their professional obligations. This holistic approach to remote work fostered a sense of well-being and fulfilment among employees, contributing to a more engaged and motivated workforce.
In summary, implementing VPN remote access solutions proved instrumental in empowering Actuaries to be more productive and achieve a better work-life balance. By embracing technology to overcome geographical barriers, we not only transformed our workforce’s working practices but also laid the foundation for a more agile, resilient, and successful organization.
#PROBLEM
Flashback to 2001/2002, when I was employed by a dynamic Actuarial company facing a pressing issue. Despite having four core offices and locations, it became evident that this setup couldn’t adequately support the company’s needs. The Actuaries, highly specialized professionals scattered across the UK, were feeling the strain of long commutes, with some spending over three hours daily travelling to work. However, remote working was far from the norm at the time. Most organisations viewed it unfavourably, and there was scepticism about its effectiveness in maintaining productivity.
#SOLUTION
In response to the challenges posed by the extensive commuting burden and the company’s dispersed workforce, we swiftly devised an innovative solution: a robust, secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) system. Our solution prioritized resilience, incorporating user certificate authentication for enhanced security. By leveraging this VPN solution, Actuaries could seamlessly connect to the company’s headquarters systems, applications, and databases from the comfort of their homes. This enabled them to access and process all necessary information securely without the constraints imposed by traditional office-based work arrangements.
#ACHIEVEMENT
The response from the Actuaries was overwhelmingly positive, with the implementation of the VPN solution leading to a notable increase in productivity and job satisfaction. Freed from the burden of long and tedious commutes, Actuaries found themselves able to devote more time and energy to their work tasks, resulting in enhanced efficiency and output. Moreover, the newfound flexibility afforded by remote work allowed them to achieve a better work-life balance, spending precious additional hours with their families and loved ones. This positive shift in work dynamics not only benefited the individual Actuaries but also contributed to a more cohesive and motivated workforce, driving overall organizational success.
What is a VPN, and How Does it Work?
Video provided by vpnMentor
‘The pandemic emphasized the critical role of scalable VPN solutions for remote workforces, enabling organizations to adapt, connect, and thrive in the face of unprecedented challenges.’
— Notions Networked
Scalable VPN Solution | Remote Workforce Connectivity | Secure Remote Access | Work from Anywhere Solutions | VPN for Remote Users | Remote Work Productivity | COVID-19 Remote VPN Solutions | Remote Work VPN Best Practices | Flexible Remote Access | VPN for Remote Work Optimization
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