Exploring the Risk in Business VPNs

Small business owners are always looking for a way to improve their companies. It has been difficult to do so in 2020 as the COVID-19 shutdown has everyone playing defense. One way businesses have forged ahead is by allowing their staff to work from home. Many businesses use a VPN to facilitate this remote productivity, but there are business risks in doing so.

What is a VPN?

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a common tool used today by individuals and businesses to gain a secure connection to centralized data and applications while not on that network. A VPN provides secure access from anywhere that has a broadband Internet connection. 

Unfortunately, cybercriminals have found a way to breach these connections and it has created some agita for cybersecurity professionals and network administrators, alike. 

How are VPNs at Risk?

It starts with people who are looking to breach your network and steal your data. Since a VPN uses a public network to access your business’ private network, it stands to reason that they would be more difficult to secure. As a result, they are a popular attack vector for hackers looking to steal data and infiltrate systems. Since the VPN is an Internet-facing system, they give hackers more opportunities to find vulnerabilities that allow them remote access to the network without login credentials. 

Using sophisticated tools, they are able to run their own code and access secure endpoints, steal data, install malware, or worse yet, destroy the storage facilities from the inside. If this were to happen to your company it could signal the beginning of the end. 

Patched Software Wins Again

While this is concerning, the rule of thumb is that if your software is regularly updated and patched, all the angles and vulnerabilities that hackers would be looking for are mitigated, creating a secure computing environment to send and receive data remotely. It’s as simple as installing new firmware when it is released. Like all the software titles on your Internet-facing network, your VPN needs to be patched to be effective. 

At Computerware, we know just how important it is to have the latest software updates for all the applications you depend on. That’s why we routinely patch and upgrade all of the software on your network as the patches come in. It gives your business the best chance to eliminate the vulnerabilities that can be a major problem. 

If you would like more information about our patch management service, or any other of our comprehensive managed IT services, call us today at (703) 821-8200.