Gone are the days when businesses relied on physical appliances for network security. With an increasing percentage of workforce swearing by remote work, where they can operate from a cafe, the comfort of their own homes, or a small motel while they're traveling, small businesses are turning towards cloud VPNs to ensure they can simplify and better secure remote employees' access to company resources.
Cloud VPNs are not only more secure than traditional on-premise VPNs, but they're also more affordable, require little to no firsthand maintenance (that's taken care of by the service provider), and make the most sense when companies are moving their businesses to the cloud.
In this article, I'll deep dive into the definition of cloud VPNs, the top 5 ways they can enhance remote work for small businesses, as well as how they differ from traditional ones. Read on.
What is a cloud VPN?
A cloud VPN, or as it’s also called, VPN as a service (VPNaaS) or cloud-based remote access VPN, is an online security tool for businesses that want to secure the internet connections between the user, i.e., the employees (especially those that work remotely or are off company premises due to, say, a business trip), and the organization’s internal network, including SaaS apps, that’s hosted in the cloud.
The actual objective of a cloud VPN is exactly the same as any traditional VPN: to encrypt the data being exchanged between the user's device and the website/application it's connected to, which in this case is the cloud.
The VPN secures remote access to the company’s infrastructure in the cloud by routing the online traffic of the employee’s device and the cloud through one of its own servers (instead of the ISP’s servers) using a secure VPN protocol. This makes the data impossible to make any sense of, meaning snoopers can’t exploit it even if they are able to intercept it.
Secondly, cloud VPNs also mask the user's IP address, making it impossible for ISPs, government agencies, and opportunistic cybercriminals to track their online location and activities.
All in all, cloud VPNs enhance security for both the remote worker and the organization, as they’re able to then share sensitive information securely, even as the employee working remotely changes their internet connection from time to time.
5 benefits of cloud VPNs for small businesses with remote workers
Let's discuss the five major reasons cloud VPNs have risen in popularity among businesses and why small organizations would be so much better off with a VPN as a service (VPNaaS) as opposed to a traditional corporate VPN.
Better data protection
One of the biggest advantages of cloud VPNs is their ability to provide remote employees with secure access to their organization’s resources (including communication channels such as emails and chats), even when they’re logging in from an unsecured public Wi-Fi network. Public networks are dangerous because they lack encryption and don’t require a password to access, allowing bad actors to intercept the data a user sends over them.
So, for example, if a remote employee were to directly access a client’s database on their company’s network via public Wi-Fi, such as a cafe, airport, hotel, co-working space, etc., they’d be creating the possibility of a hacker snooping in and exposing sensitive data.
A cloud VPN, however, encrypts their data, making it unintelligible and therefore impossible to exploit by hackers or other snoopers. It also spoofs the employee’s real location to prevent their online activities and location from being tracked, ultimately making it safe to access private information on the company’s network no matter their own location.
Furthermore, a cloud VPN can also crank up security by protecting users against malicious websites and software and phishing attacks, thanks to built-in firewalls and monitoring systems that sniff out and therefore stop any unauthorized access to the corporate network. This comes in clutch in the event an employee accidentally wanders off to a dangerous website or downloads a malicious attachment.
One of the many ways a cloud VPN’s ability to simplify remote work benefits businesses is by allowing them to function efficiently and cater to a global customer base, as their employees are able to log in securely irrespective of their location and ensure high-quality service to clients everywhere.
Scalability
Herein lies one of the biggest differences between cloud and traditional VPNs. While most consumer VPNs can only protect 8-10 devices at a time (typically) and come with limited bandwidth, cloud VPNs adhere to no such restrictions, making them perfect for growing organizations, as they can scale resources up or down as and when needed. Plus, businesses can choose from different cloud VPN endpoints and regions and only pay for what they use.
Additionally, traditional business VPNs that require on-premise hardware and maintenance demand a significant investment when it comes to scaling, too, as businesses would have to buy new equipment or even rejig their entire network infrastructure to accommodate growing demands. Cloud VPNs, on the other hand, are hosted in the cloud, which allows for rapid deployment – scaling is as simple as upgrading your VPN subscription plan.
Next, cloud VPNs, like most other cloud solutions (such as cloud hosting providers), also offer excellent geo-redundancy. This means that if a part of the cloud VPN's network fails or is overloaded due to a surge in traffic, the system won't stop working; it'll simply reroute connections to make sure everything works smoothly.
Cost savings
Cloud VPNs are much cheaper to deploy – for businesses of all sizes – compared to traditional VPNs, as the latter requires a massive investment in hardware that needs to be installed on the premises. This includes dedicated VPN servers (for authentication) and VPN concentrators. Additionally, businesses would also need a good maintenance team to ensure any hardware or downtime issues with the physical VPN servers are resolved quickly.
This is not the case with cloud VPN providers because they are service-based, meaning they handle the backend for you. This includes tasks related to maintenance, updates, and scaling.
What's more, as mentioned above, cloud VPN providers offer geo-redundancy, meaning they have a lot of data centers spread across the globe. This also makes them a more budget-friendly option for businesses with international teams and remote workers, as they can simply connect them to the nearest data center – instead of having to set up local VPN servers in different locations.
Access controls
Not every employee in an organization needs the same level of access to company resources. For example, a freelance graphic designer working remotely wouldn't (and shouldn't) be able to dive into the company's sales reports. This is where cloud VPNs come in handy, as they allow businesses to put in place access controls on their network.
Not only can businesses quickly revoke any employee's VPN access, which would mean they can no longer access the company network, but these controls can also be granular: I'm talking about network compartmentalization (or whitelisting) to control application-level access. This would ensure that only authorized individuals can access specific resources, such as files, systems, or networks.
Bypass geo-restrictions
This one's a biggie, considering the growing trend of online censorship in so many countries around the world. Authoritarian regimes, such as China, Russia, Turkey, the UAE, and Belarus, to name a few, have banned social media apps like Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and Snapchat, as well as essential and everyday VoIP and communication apps such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Slack, etc.
Why? Because they want to suppress dissent, restrict free speech, and prevent anti-government sentiments from spreading. Alternatively, they may do so for good reasons as well, such as national security and/or protecting citizens from harmful content, such as pornography.
Think about it: for a small social media marketing company (that relies on platforms like X, Instagram, and TikTok) with employees working remotely from, say, the UAE, such online censorship can, quite frankly, stop it from operating. This is where a cloud VPN becomes invaluable. By masking their real IP address and replacing it with a fake one, a cloud VPN allows remote employees to sidestep geo-restrictions put in place by their governments.
The other side of the coin when it comes to evading geo-blocks with a VPN is using it to unblock streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, and Disney Plus, among others. These platforms offer different content catalogs in different locations (due to licensing agreements), meaning you may not be able to access your favorites back home when you're out and about.
While an organization may or may not appreciate its employees using the cloud VPN for this purpose, users can always use a typical streaming VPN to change their IP address to make it look like they’re physically present in the country whose content they wish to watch (by connecting to a VPN server in that country). After all, a well-rested employee is an asset for the company.
Other benefits of cloud VPNs for small businesses
By cranking up network security and allowing remote and direct cloud access to streamline operations, cloud VPNs also provide the following benefits to businesses:
- Site-centric VPN technology can often be plagued with high latency and technical issues, which would then hamper the productivity of the entire organization. With cloud VPNs, however, this won't happen, also ensuring that the business is able to compete in a cut-throat market.
- The flexibility of cloud VPNs (they're globally accessible and can secure access from anywhere and at any time) allows small businesses to hire global talent, meaning they can work with the best in the business without worrying about any technological barriers.
- Businesses can safely deploy BYOD (bring-your-own-device) policies, as cloud VPNs support a wide variety of devices, including desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and smartphones of all operating systems, which have become the go-to for remote workers.
FAQs
What are the differences between a traditional VPN and a cloud VPN?
While both traditional and cloud VPNs are meant for securing remote access, they differ in how they're deployed and managed. Traditional VPNs include hardware, such as dedicated VPN servers or routers, that need to be placed in the office and require regular maintenance. Not only is this more complex, especially for small businesses, but it can also prove to be very expensive.
Cloud VPNs, on the other hand, use virtualized resources, such as those provided by Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, or Amazon Web Services (AWS). This results in minimal on-premises hardware, and combined with the fact that critical tasks such as updates and maintenance are taken care of by the VPN provider itself, it also means lower upfront costs.
Next, cloud VPNs (or remote access VPNs) are more scalable and flexible than typical corporate VPNs, offer geo-redundancy (or distributed architecture) for maximum reliability and a user-friendly interface, and are overall more suited to modern businesses than traditional VPNs.
Who is a cloud VPN for?
Cloud VPNs are ideal for businesses with remote workers and those that have moved their systems to the cloud. They ensure secure access to the company's resources from anywhere and at any time, meaning employees that are off premises and using public Wi-Fi of, say, a hotel, airport, cafe, or coworking space can access company networks and files, data, and systems the same way as if they were in the office.
