A Virtual Private Network or a VPN protects your online privacy and maintains anonymity by creating a private network on a public Internet connection. VPNs mask your IP address, so your online actions can never be traced back to you. In addition, VPN servers establish end-to-end encrypted connections for secured data exchange even over public networks.
Due to data security & privacy properties, VPNs are broadly used by both personal consumers and corporates for business data security.
Difference between Consumer VPN vs. Business VPN
The primary aim of a personal VPN is to offer security & privacy to an individual user over different networks. Consumers may use a VPN service to prevent ISPs from recording their online activities, bypass geo-restrictions & access content globally. You can learn more about how VPN works for further understanding.
A business VPN or a Corporate VPN enables employees to connect to the Internet during remote work from various locations as if they are physically in the office. A business VPN also provides a layer of data encryption to protect against unauthorized surveillance and data theft attempts.
It is significant when remote employees have to access the organization’s sensitive resources. These resources are usually available only on the company’s Intranet servers & data centers for security reasons.
However, note that corporate VPNs are meant to protect the privacy of a company and not the individual user. Hence, whenever you use a corporate VPN, your IP address & browsing history may be hidden from the websites you browse, but your entire online activity can be shared with your organization.
What is Remote Access VPN?
Every office has its own IT network from which its employees can log in and access data. This network grants access to printers, various IT resources like servers, data transfers, and more. With internal firewall & security measures, this network is extremely secure and protects it from suspicious websites getting access to any resources.
However, with most businesses having a global footprint today, restricting access only to employees physically present in the office is not practical. Most organizations now deploy servers in various locations and grant access to remote employees over any internet service.
If proper care isn’t taken, this can be risky. To safeguard networks & protect sensitive data, organizations implement VPNs. All the remote employees can then access the internal network by signing in to the remote access VPN.
The need for Remote Access VPN for businesses
The most significant impact of using a business VPN is heightened data security. With a VPN, all your data on the data center or the cloud is always encrypted whenever your employees access it remotely. It ensures no data is leaked from any node on the external network.
Alongside, a VPN also facilitates easy access control to the employees. A VPN acts as an access control system that authenticates & authorizes users by evaluating their credentials and then granting them only the required network access & permissions.
Also, suppose your organization has employees who travel to countries with censored & restricted internet access. In that case, a VPN ensures they can still access all the vital business resources even when in any such locations.
Best Remote Access VPNs for Business
NordVPN
NordVPN brands its business VPN as NordLayer (formerly called NordVPN Teams). It has a dedicated infrastructure that is comparatively easy to implement & use. It seamlessly integrates with any of your existing platforms and can be installed for every endpoint on the network, including computers, laptops, tablets, and even smartphones.
It allows the Admin to manage all the user accounts and permitted features from one centralized Control Panel. They have shared servers spread across 33 countries & 20+ dedicated server locations, enabling your employees to access international content, conduct QA testing, and evaluate international marketing campaigns.
NordLayer uses AES 256-bit encryption to scramble Internet communication on the network. Also, you get an additional layer of security with the two-factor authentication feature. It supports Google Authenticator, Authy, or phone-based authentication. Furthermore, it also has the Kill Switch tool. It will instantly cut off all the Internet traffic on your device if your VPN drops, ensuring none of your information ever gets exposed online.
One interesting feature is the Third-party login. You can use your existing login credentials to log in to NordLayer with your Azure AD, Google SSO, and Okta accounts. To further customize the experience for your users, you can create dedicated gateways for specific teams and company branches. You can also assign specific company servers, choose virtual locations and manage which team members can access particular gateways.
Adding, removing, or transferring is easy in NordLayer business accounts. You can transfer old accounts to new employees or add newer ones in simple steps. NordLayer is available on Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and Linux devices. They have a dedicated support team; you can reach them via email or live chat options.
VyprVPN
VyprVPN for Business offers unrestricted access to any essential online business tool from any location globally. VyprVPN offers multiple user management and access to global business servers.
The Admin can create and manage multiple user accounts from a single location. You can grant every user varying access privileges as required. They also do not have download caps, thus, providing your team unlimited bandwidth when using the Internet.
They also have a strict no-logs policy which ensures no logs are kept. VyprVPN works on WireGuard® VPN Protocol for enhanced security. It hosts 46 Streaming Libraries to choose from. One interesting feature of VyprVPN is that it can bypass most geo-restrictions, including China. It does this through its proprietary Chameleon Technology. It works by suppressing VPN blocking in countries.
They also have a dedicated account manager and 24x7x365 days of support. VyprVPN is available for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and SmartTV.
Perimeter 81
Perimeter 81 helps protect cloud environments, staging servers, and company databases with their business VPN.
You can also deploy dedicated high-speed private servers for your organization if required. Further, you can also secure your team’s resource access with dedicated IPs. You can add team members to the network, create multiple user groups and manage team members’ permissions in one unified management portal. You can easily monitor network activity, audit resource access, monitor bandwidth consumption, and detect network anomalies.
Perimeter81 has a global network of over 700 public servers in more than 36 locations. It allows you to effectively conduct quality assurance testing and easily bypass geo-restrictions. Perimeter 81 uses 256-bit bank-level encryption to secure all the network traffic. The Automatic Wi-Fi Security and DNS Filtering feature instantly shields data by automatically activating VPN protection when users connect to unknown & untrusted networks.
Perimeter81 offers a complete, scalable software framework compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android / Chromebook. Their single-click & single sign-on client application can be installed on any device.
TunnelBear
It is an easy to use & simple to install VPN for teams to use. TunnelBear for teams gives out proactive security alerts whenever your team members connect to public networks that are less secure than others.
It encrypts all data on the network while browsing the web or using apps with AES-256 bit encryption keeping your connection safe from data leaks, eavesdropping, and cyberattacks. You can easily add or remove users, edit billing info, and view invoices from your main admin console.
Moreover, only a single annual team invoice is generated & if any of your users leave before their subscription period ends, TunnelBear will credit the remaining subscription into your main account.
An interesting feature is where you can enable domain sign-up to auto-claim new employees’ TunnelBear accounts. They have a strict no-logs policy to safeguard your team’s browsing data. A dedicated support team is available for any required support at any time. TunnelBear apps are available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.
Best VPNs without a dedicated business VPN
The following VPNs do not have a dedicated business plan, but they are still some of the best VPN providers. You can deploy any of these for a small business team & limited budget.
Surfshark
One of the best features that make Surfshark suitable for small businesses is that it can be used on unlimited devices with a single license. It uses AES-256 bit encryption on its networks with IKEv2 (Android & iOS), OpenVPN & WireGuard protocols.
Surfshark enables you to hide your IP and block ads and malware before they can load with CleanWeb technology. It saves your mobile data & boosts browsing speeds. It also avoids phishing attempts & protects your user’s identities. It also notifies you if your data has been leaked anywhere online.
You can even choose to receive quarterly personal data security reports from Surfshark. Along with that, you can easily escape geo-restrictions by accessing their 3200+ servers in over 90 countries.
Above all, Surfshark is one of the best-priced VPNs loaded with great features. Surfshark is supported on all major operating systems and devices, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS & Amazon FireTV.
CyberGhost
One CyberGhost subscription helps you secure up to 7 different devices simultaneously. They have a global VPN infrastructure of 7980 VPN servers in 91 countries. All the network traffic is encrypted using 256-bit military-grade encryption along with OpenVPN, WireGuard, and IKEv2 protocols.
CyberGhost automatically detects the best protocol for you, depending on your type of activity. They also have a strict no-logs policy.
The Split Tunneling feature allows you to segment your online traffic into encrypted and unencrypted traffic. It is useful in optimizing your browsing speeds because by excluding trusted apps or websites from the VPN tunnel, you encrypt less data, enhancing your speed. CyberGhost VPN is supported on Windows, macOS, Android, FireTV & iOS devices.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is the last one on our list of VPNs without a dedicated business plan. You can connect up to five devices simultaneously in a single ExpressVPN subscription. They have 160 server locations all over the world in 94 countries.
All data transmitted on the network is automatically encrypted and authenticated using 256-bit encryption. No DNS queries can be observed or altered by any third parties. It also masks your IP address so no advertisers or your ISP can track your online activity.
They have a strict no-logs policy. It also has a VPN Split Tunneling feature along with a Kill Switch they call the ‘Network Lock.’ 24/7 customer support is available in case you want urgent support. ExpressVPN supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS & Android devices.
Choosing the best VPN for business
If you own a small business or are a home user & want to secure your online data & privacy, a consumer VPN would be a perfect choice. A consumer VPN is less complicated, cost-effective, and yet serves the purpose as it should for a limited number of users.
A more dedicated business VPN is the best solution for large businesses and organizations. A business VPN ensures that all your employees can securely access all the resources and yet maintain data security & privacy.
Another key point to consider before finalizing a VPN is the number of connections and the type of devices supported in the subscription. It is significant since it should be in line with the size of your firm and the hardware your employee’s devices run on.