What Is VPN Security?

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are a common cybersecurity tool commonly deployed at commercial and enterprise levels, with their defense against IP tracking and additional encryption making a useful addition to any security posture.

The Importance of VPN Security
Understanding VPN Protocols
How to Protect Your Data with VPNs
Top 3 VPN Security Best Practices
Maximize VPN Security with Perimeter 81

In this post, we’ll explore what VPN security is, touch on how you can use VPNs to keep your data safe, and outline the best security practices when using a VPN.

The Importance of VPN Security

VPN security is an easy-to-use and high-impact method of keeping safe when browsing online. By masking a user’s IP address when browsing and encrypting their data, VPNs provide a private and secure method of accessing online sites and digital archives.

Equally, businesses can use a VPN to allow their remote workers to connect to company resources and databases in a secure manner, without the risk of Internet connection hijacking.

VPN security is important as it offers individuals and businesses the following:

Enhanced online privacy
Secured transaction pathways for banking and shopping.
Encrypted remote access pathways for remote workers.
Reduced latency access to network resources.

Understanding VPN Protocols

Not every VPN protocol is the same, as each provider includes different packages and conditions that influence the VPN security they offer.

Here are the main features to look for when selecting a VPN protocol:

Strong Encryption Standard: Ensure that your VPN provider offers a high standard of encryption. Either AES-256 or ChaCha20 are preferable for most companies.
Zero-Log Policy: This is one of the most important parts of a VPN protocol and should be a necessity.
DNS Leak Controls: VPNs should only be able to connect to their own DNS servers to avoid any DNS leak compromises.
Cross-Platform Integration: Especially if you want to use a VPN in a business environment, they should be able to support multiple devices without losing speed.

How to Protect Your Data with VPNs

Once you have selected a VPN partner, configured the tool to your liking, and deployed it on your enterprise systems, your VPN security will be active. However, to keep this security to its highest possible standard, your business should engage with a few practices.

Regularly Update Your VPN

It’s important to regularly update your VPN to match the latest update offered by your provider.

New updates will patch out any known vulnerabilities in your VPN, ensuring you only receive the best possible service from your virtual private network.

Use Password Protection

Another way to protect your VPN from threats like malware is to use password protection on your VPN. When logging into a VPN network, you should ask employees to sign in.

Leverage Multi-Factor Authentication

Password protection is made even more effective when coupled with multi-factor authentication (MFA), which will help prevent malicious actors from accessing your VPN network and downloading malware onto it.

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Top 3 VPN Security Best Practices

Here are some of the best practices when using a VPN for security:

Search for a Zero-Log Policy: Only partner with a VPN security provider that offers a zero-log policy. This will ensure that your internet history and personal data aren’t tracked and stored by the VPN provider.
Enable IP Masking: When configuring your VPN, ensure that IP masking is enabled. While this is typically a default feature, masking your IP address is a core part of using a VPN securely, making this a priority.
Use a Kill Switch: A kill switch will instantly activate and turn off your WiFi if your VPN connection stops working. Especially when on public Wi-Fi networks, this is a useful additional layer of security to ensure you don’t get Internet traffic without protection.

Maximize VPN Security with Perimeter 81

An effective online security solution goes beyond just having knowledge of what common threats may look like. Businesses that want to keep themselves safe need to seek out tools that cover them from every angle.

With the Perimeter 81 Business VPN, companies can protect their entire workforce and network from eavesdropping and connection hijacking. An enterprise VPN solution will keep data safe when moving through your business network, securing information while offering high-speed pathways for remote workers to connect to company systems.

Get started today with Perimeter 81 to keep your business safe with VPN security.

FAQs

What does VPN security mean?

VPN security is a broad term that refers to the cybersecurity protection that a VPN product adds to your system. While not an advanced form of defense, it is a useful tool that can keep users safe when browsing online. VPN security protects your IP address and helps to encrypt any data that you interact with online.

Are VPNs a security risk?

While VPNs are not a security risk, as they are a security tool that helps to keep users safe when browsing online, malware can still get into them. For example, if your company had a VPN installed on all company computers, it would only take one employee accidentally downloading malware to infect your system. Malware, like any other program, can travel through VPN encryption tunnels and enter your wider network.

What does a VPN actually protect you from?

A VPN is a useful security tool as it can add a layer of encryption to your browsing. Equally, it helps to mask your IP address, making it much harder to track online. If someone wanted to steal your information and trace your online activity, a VPN would create a barrier in the form of an encryption tunnel, stopping them from eavesdropping.

Can a VPN be hacked?

While, technically, a VPN can be hacked if a malicious actor were able to break through the encryption pathway the VPN uses, this is highly unlikely. The vast majority of reputable VPN services have comprehensive encryption, making the chance of a hacker being able to break in and steal data a remote one.

Do VPNs steal information?

Most VPN providers have a no-log policy, which details that the VPN provider will not record your activity and make a log of it on their internal servers. This means that your internet history, data transfers, or interactions on the internet won’t be tracked by your VPN provider.

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