A VPN can be an important part of your network security and accessibility, so it’s not a business decision to be made lightly. Here are some factors you should consider when you want to avoid dealing with hardware and subscribe to a business cloud VPN as a service instead.
Cloud VPN connects remote users and business systems securely, regardless of their physical or network location. Instead of requiring you to construct a hardware infrastructure, cloud VPN allows you to create your own private network with just a few clicks. However, there are several cloud VPN providers out there. Let’s take a look at some criteria for choosing the one that best fits your needs:
- Global availability (number of gateways)
- VPN Pricing (Cost efficiency)
- Feature set
- Security of VPN
- Trustworthiness of the Provider
- Ease of use
- Customer support
Global Availability (Number of Gateways)
A gateway is a physical or virtual location where you can connect to the cloud VPN. The more gateways a vendor offers, the greater chances are of finding a gateway that’s geographically close to your users and meet performance requirements. Proximity implies better performance (lower latency), so the closer the gateway, the better. Business cloud VPN vendors run distributed networks across many locations worldwide to ensure the best possible QoS.
VPN Pricing (Cost Efficiency)
A cloud VPN reduces costs and eliminates difficulty with building and interconnecting hardware VPN infrastructure, which is of massive help, especially for small and midsize businesses with limited budgets and a lack of experts.
Regardless, the price of using a cloud VPN is still an important consideration. Many factors go into pricing, and you should always balance price and feature set.
Trustworthy vendors give you a detailed breakdown of their pricing plans so you can compare them apples-to-apples. Keep in mind that some cloud VPNs are priced by usage (bandwidth or data transferred), while others are priced at a flat monthly rate (per user/month).
Feature Set
Over the years, many new features have been introduced to VPNs, yet their primary goal has not changed. Here is a list of some crucial features you should require from the business VPN vendor for your business:
- a VPN that covers both site-to-site and remote access needs
- gateways close to your operations,
- dedicated static IPs for IP whitelisting
- clouds and branches connectors to easily interconnect your offices and resources (site-to-site VPN)
- desktop and mobile client apps for different OS
- security features – 2FA and SSO
- availability of technical support for your plan
Also, check whether the provider offers a backup gateway, identity and access management to manage users/devices and their access rights easily, and 2FA/MFA support. Finally, always check what kind of support the vendor offers and if they are keen to help you with the initial setup.
Free trials are always a good way to start.
Security of VPN
Your cloud VPN service should have robust security features in place; otherwise, it loses its purpose. Make sure that the provider offers proven security protocols such as IKEv2/IPSEC and OpenVPN for establishing secure tunneled interconnections. Available protocols should use strong (unbroken) ciphers and algorithms, TLS authentication, MitM protection, Perfect Forward Secrecy, etc.
Look for authentication options such as two-factor authentication (2FA) and single sign-on (SSO), features that protect users from connecting with malicious domains (malware, phishing websites, C&C botnets, etc.), or custom DNS filtering and be sure the selected business VPN keeps logs. Keeping gateway-level access logs or even system-level access logs is a fundamental tool that gives your company visibility into access history and is an essential component of implementing your compliance policy. In addition, being able to review access and communication history is critical after a breach has occurred, as it allows you to follow the adversary’s footsteps and repair the damage they caused.
Also, research where your service provider is based to see if they fall under the data retention and lawful interception laws and if the vendor is audited by third parties and conducts regular penetration tests. Reliable vendors are transparent about their security measures (e.g. have an article or blog on their website where they discuss this topic).
Trustworthiness of VPN Provider
Finding a reputable provider can be difficult in any sector, but it’s well worth the effort. You don’t want to lose your data because the vendor mistakenly deleted your virtual resources and didn’t keep a backup or doesn’t have enough capacity, so customers have to compete for bandwidth with one another. You should be able to test the service for free, see how the VPN works, and if the customer/technical support is responsive and are real humans, not just robots. Make sure that they are a registered business, have a physical office address, and are willing to openly share information about their team and company values.
Ease of Use
The VPN service should be easy to use, with a simple and intuitive interface. The setup process should be straightforward, and there should be no complicated procedures to follow. The VPN service should also be reliable, with minimal downtime and no connection drops.
Customer Support
The cloud VPN service should offer excellent customer support with fast and responsive customer service. Therefore it is always good to check customer support ratings on platforms such as G2, Capterra, or TrustRadius. The vendor should have a good reputation among customers and should offer several channels for reporting and dealing with issues (knowledgebase, live chat, telephone, email, or even a dedicated success manager).