With remote work here to stay, secure access to company resources is critical. But not every business needs a traditional VPN anymore.
What a Business VPN Actually Does
A business VPN creates an encrypted tunnel between remote employees and your office network. This lets them access file servers, printers, and internal applications as if they were in the office.
VPN vs Zero Trust
Traditional VPNs give access to your entire network once connected. Modern Zero Trust solutions (like Cloudflare Access or Zscaler) verify every request individually—much more secure for today's threats.
When You Need a VPN
- Accessing on-premise servers or applications
- Using legacy software that can't be cloud-hosted
- Connecting to network printers or scanners remotely
- Compliance requirements mandating encrypted connections
When You Don't Need a VPN
If all your applications are cloud-based (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, cloud accounting), you may not need a VPN at all. Focus on strong authentication and endpoint security instead.
VPN Best Practices
- Require multi-factor authentication for VPN access
- Use split tunneling carefully—or not at all
- Monitor VPN logs for suspicious activity
- Keep VPN software and firmware updated