Could your VPN put you at risk?

These days, it is relatively straightforward to access your email when you are out of work. On the other hand, it is much more difficult to access all the data and features of your business network. Until recently, most people have used a virtual private network (VPN) connection to access work remotely. VPNs provide effective access to your emails and company files. But if you've ever used one, you'll understand that they can be frustrating, unreliable and slow. It's never nearly as good as being at your desk in the workplace.

There are 3 issues with VPNs: security, usability and maintenance.

Security

The problem with VPNs is that while securing your data during transit by encrypting them, they leave two big gaps in your security. First, when creating a VPN for your business network, it's like opening a door through your company's IT security perimeter. Any malicious program that has compromised the computer you are working on at your end of the VPN will get through to the rest of the network. So if you have opened a VPN connection on your home computer, malware, viruses and various nasties that your young children have collected on their web travel have an open record for your file server.

More significantly, however, How to home computer or your business laptop is protected against malware, VPN's goal is to allow you to transfer files from your business network to the laptop so you can work on them. This means that the files have left your company's secure perimeter and are out in the wild. Once you've left your laptop on the train, or a friendly thief borrows your home computer, your company's files will accompany you on the trip.

usability

How many times has your VPN crashed out of the middle of the session? How often have you not been able to save a document back to the server and had a local one area copy as a result of your VPN expiring? How exhausting are you gritting your teeth when the VPN connects, but you can't see the server and your offline folders resolutely stay offline?

How long do you have to wait for your CRM database to open over VPN? How slow is your account package? How long does it take for a PowerPoint presentation to download and transfer to your home computer anyway?

VPNs, when combined with Windows and with applications designed for fast local networks, are, to a degree, sort of like a dog walking the back legs. They work, but not very well, and we are expected to be grateful that they work at all.

Maintenance

VPNs do not produce or maintain themselves, unfortunately. You need to shop for kits, SSL certificates and sometimes additional software to be able to configure them in the first place. I say "you", but I mean your IT guy. And he has to be paid to try to get the whole system set up and work, not to mention upgrading.

Then they should continue to work, even when upgrading the firewall to protect against new threats, or change your server or install new software. Every time you get a replaceable laptop, you have to get the Bob IT guy to reset the VPN and sync your offline folders and set up new icons for your business applications. So do you have to try to do it all over again on your laptop after reinstalling it to get rid of malware that your kids found earlier - remember?