VPN as a Service (VPNaaS)

Simply and easily secure access to all your internal and cloud-based resources with Perimeter 81’s VPN as a Service

What is a VPN as a Service?

VPNaaS – is a new modern architecture of VPN technology which is precisely blueprinted for the cloud.

VPN as a Service enables organizations to provide secure access to their employees for the company’s applications and resources in the cloud. 

While traditional consumer VPNs require a type of VPN infrastructure on the user’s end, a VPN as a Service provides a secure and easily accessible connection that is integrated with the organization’s cloud infrastructure.

The VPN as a Service is easy to set up and can be deployed anywhere in just a few minutes.  

Additionally, VPN as a Service improves the security of the company’s cloud architecture with a more flexible and scalable option instead of the outdated traditional VPNs.

The Rise of the Mobile Workforce

With the rise of the mobile workforce and cloud transformation, the traditional network we once knew can no longer be trusted.

While employees now work remotely from home, cafes, as well as around the world, the standard hardware-based security appliances we’ve relied on for over 30 years are no longer adequate in securing remote and on-premise access. 

Until recently, businesses and organizations have been using network security via physical appliances that are site-centric.

In a site-centric network, employees must be present on-site or use a VPN to connect with headquarter offices in order to access security services or the cloud environment.

This site-centric technology causes high latency, low productivity, technical issues, and the need to deal with hardware distributors.

There is no segmentation or user awareness within the network. Cloud environments and SaaS services are not being properly protected and are sometimes exposed to the public internet. 

In addition to being more vulnerable to cyber attacks, traditional technology solutions are prohibitively expensive, do not integrate well with today’s increasingly popular cloud services, and are extremely complicated to use.

Traditional hardware services, as well as open-source VPN solutions, can be highly limited in offering scalable and streamlined network visibility due to the amount of manual configuration and overhead involved.

Employees today are working from everywhere and organizations are increasingly relying upon cloud technologies.

With the rise of the mobile workforce and cloud transformation, the traditional network we once knew can no longer be trusted.

Organizations are increasingly adopting the use of remote workers and many companies are moving to cloud infrastructures such as AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and more.

With an ever-expanding network on the horizon, the traditional hardware-based security appliances are no longer adequate.

Many companies are still using the same site-centric and hardware-based network security appliances that we’ve relied on for the past 30 years, and these are no longer adequate in securing remote and on-premise access.

Access and Security for BYOD Devices

More and more employees are using “bring your own device” (BYOD), personal devices with many applications to access corporate data.

Some examples include iPhones, iPads, Android devices, BlackBerries and more. These devices require stronger levels of endpoint security, point-to-point encryption and more.

Security can be for data at rest in the device itself, secure access to data in the enterprise, and encryption for data in motion between the enterprise and the device. 

BYOD has become a huge trend amongst enterprises, with nearly 1/3 of employees using personal devices at workplaces worldwide.

A single BYOD can provide several key benefits to enterprises, including increased productivity, reduced IT and operating costs, better mobility for employees, and higher appeal when it comes to hiring and retaining employees.

However, with these benefits comes an increased mobile security risk, as BYOD can lead to data breaches and increased liability for the organization.

Nearly three-quarters of employee mobile devices used for work purposes are not connected to company IT support.

While more employees are working remotely and using their own devices to connect to company’s resources, Perimeter 81’s VPN as a Service keeps your organization’s data protected by encrypting network traffic.

Why You Need to Switch from a Consumer VPN to a VPNaaS

Providing employees, partners and customers with remote access to servers, applications and network resources, on-premise or in the cloud used to be rare, yet now it’s the norm.

At the same time, technologies such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) that provide remote access functionality have not kept pace with the security requirements and ever-evolving threat landscape of today.

VPNs, introduced over 30 years ago, can enable safe, remote access to the Internet through a point-to-point secure connection by creating an encrypted ‘tunnel’ through which IP traffic flows.

Consumer Cloud VPNs make organizations vulnerable, however, because users are granted access to the entire internal network when logging in and not restricted to specific network resources making consumer VPNs one of the weakest points of failure with respect to identity access and credential management.

Critical consumer VPN limitations include lack of network segmentation, traffic visibility, on-premise user security, and lack of Wi-Fi security.

Traditional consumer VPNs are not suited for dynamic networks because they require computer hardware, constant management and cannot easily adjust to network or server changes.

This makes it more complicated to scale and rapidly adjust for new users and network locations and increasingly difficult to effectively manage hybrid and cloud-based computing architectures.

In contrast, the VPN as a Service model addresses traditional VPN limitations while providing a flexible cloud-based platform, device and application configurability as well as accessibility, increased security, privacy and user-access control granularity and analytics.

How Does a VPN as a Service Work?

VPN as a Service (VPNaaS) provides redundant Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) network access that enables secure connections between private networks and public cloud providers, or cloud to cloud connections via VPN gateways that link projects or regions.

IPsec is the secure network protocol suite that authenticates and encrypts data at the IP Packet Layer.

Establishing virtual tunneled connections with IPsec between network resources and an external device and user requires two main components: Perimeter 81’s VPN client software and secure network access gateway.

The IP traffic that flows between the two components pass between the Perimeter 81 private gateway and the client thereby creating an IPsec connection to establish a secure VPN communications tunnel.

The private tunnel or tunnels and the data traveling over any network, public or private, is encrypted, keeping all data private and secure.

Using Perimeter 81’s service, enterprises can now control VPNaaS management across multiple public clouds or private networks, all in one platform.

Securing Digital Workspace for Remote Workers 

VPNaaS provide security and compliance to the management of VPN environments.

Secures the Cloud
While the cloud provider offers the network infrastructure, it does not address access point security into the network. In this ‘shared responsibility model’, it is up to the consumer to secure access on top of the cloud environment.

Enables Remote Access
Employees connect from multiple devices, from various locations during all hours of the night and day. A VPN as a Service allows employees to securely access the organization’s private network through public networks and even share data remotely.

Encrypts Transmitted Data
The combination of data encryption and tunneling protocols means that all transmitted data, regardless of device or location, is completely encrypted. This level of security ensures that only authorized connections are established.

Perimeter 81’s VPN as a Service provides organizations with: 

• Greater network visibility
• Seamless on-boarding 
• Automatic integration with all the major cloud providers
• Secure access to both managed and unmanaged devices

Our VPN as a Service includes four main components:

1. A unified cloud management platform where IT personnel can manage their team, network and permissions, and monitor network activity. The interface is extremely easy-to-use and offers built-in Single Sign-On integration, Two-Factor Authentication and mobile support.
2. A multi-tenant cloud, where we create multiple networks, segmented based on different permissions. Each one of the networks can be interconnected, either with a centrally based office and native firewalls running within the office or to cloud services through IP whitelisting.
3. Easy-to-use agents which can be installed either on mobile or laptop devices, offering employees single-click access to any local network or cloud-based resource and providing them with a unified security experience, regardless of where they are.
4. Zero Trust agentless application access, which employs multiple layers of user trust and device trust policy validation to authorize employees before granting them swift access to applications in a session that is fully audited and can be recorded and monitored. This secures the network, employees, and applications using Zero Trust guidelines, and isolates the applications from the network at all times.

What a VPN as a Service Can Do for Your Business

Protect cloud environments, staging servers and company databases with total ease.

Access and Security for BYOD Devices
A VPN as a Service allows your employees to encrypt and secure their online traffic— no matter where in the world they’re browsing from.

International Quality Assurance Testing
With a VPN as a Service, your QA team can easily change their online geo-location and check the quality of your product in your key international markets.

Simple Automatic IP Whitelisting
Block out threats and grant access to trusted sources by assigning static IP addresses and automatically whitelisting IPs.

Optimize Your International Search Rankings
With a VPN as a Service, you can easily view, monitor and manage your ads and relevant keywords internationally. 

Stay Ahead of Your Competition
Deliver different content to different users based on their geographic location. Customize your site with native text, images and currency and increase your conversion rate.

Access Applications, VoIP Services and More
With a VPN as a Service, you can mask your actual location and bypass online censorship allowing you to access VoIP apps, social media networks, websites, and more.

Perimeter 81’s VPN as a Service Features:

• 18 private and 35+ public VPN gateways hosted in locations worldwide
• VPN network deployable with a single click
• 24/7 Customer support
• Unlimited data and bandwidth
• Easy-to-use apps (available for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android)
• Single cloud management platform
• Activity and audit reports
• Automatic Wi-Fi Security