Top Tips for Remote Access to Your Company's Data

You just reached home from a long day at work, but forgot to finish that one important task and now you need access to your work files. Depending on your company's security policy some files may not be allowed to be uploaded to the cloud e.g Google Cloud or Microsoft One Drive, so to access those files you need to go back which would be really time taking.

This where a remote access VPN(Virtual Private Network) solution could benefit you by a great deal. So what exactly is a remote access VPN?

A Remote Access VPN (Virtual Private Network) allows users to securely connect to a private network (like a company's internal network) from a remote location, typically over the internet. It creates an encrypted "tunnel" between the user's device (such as a laptop, phone, or tablet) and the network, ensuring that any data sent over the connection is protected from eavesdropping or tampering.

In simpler terms, a Remote Access VPN lets you work or access resources on a company's network even when you're not physically in the office. It’s widely used by employees who need to access company files, applications, or other resources from home, while traveling, or while on the go.

How does is work?

1. VPN Client: The user installs a VPN client software on their device.

2. Authentication: The user logs in with credentials (username, password, or multi-factor authentication).

3. Encrypted Tunnel: Once authenticated, the VPN client creates an encrypted tunnel between the user's device and the company’s network.

4. Secure Connection: The user can now access internal resources, as if they were physically in the office.

Now are many solutions in the market, some paid and some open source(free software) and we will discuss a bit of each in this post. Let's get started!

1. VPN using a Firewall (Small to large scale business)

   A firewall is a security system that monitors and regulates incoming and outgoing network traffic based on established security rules. It functions as a barrier or filter between a trusted network (such as your local home or business network) and an untrusted network (like the internet). The primary purpose of a firewall is to permit legitimate traffic while preventing potentially harmful or unauthorized access.

   1. There are two main categories of firewalls:

      1. Hardware Firewalls: These are physical devices usually installed at the network's entry/exit points (such as a router or gateway). They examine traffic before it enters or exits the network.

      2. Software Firewalls: These are installed on individual devices (like computers or servers) and manage traffic to and from that specific device.

   
   

   There are many vendors that sell hardware based firewalls and few of the popular ones are Fortinet, Palo Alto and Cisco Systems. You have to pay for the hardware and an additional cost for licensing for operating the device. This can get expensive, usually around couple 1000 dollars yearly to maintain the license and technical support, especially for a startup where initial costs are preferred on the low side.

   
   

   An alternative to license based firewalls are open source firewalls. PfSense firewall which can be implemented software based or hardware based (one time payment for hardware). PfSense leverages OpenVPN for remote access VPN.

   
   

   For technical support, you would just have to pay extra yearly on the level of support you need. You can check this link for support cost structure. Don't worry, link is totally safe :) PfSense Suport link

   
   

2. VPN using NordVPN (Very small business)

   This one would be for a very small business, typically in a scenario where hiring an IT person would be very expensive. It is particularly interesting in the sense that even a novice can setup remote access VPN. It's remote access VPN feature is called Meshnet.

   
   

   NordVPN can be installed on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iPhone devices.

   Simply install NordVPN on the devices you wish to access and connect from, then activate the Meshnet feature. This will enable device-to-device connectivity. For instance, if you need to access your work computer from your personal device, install NordVPN on both your work computer and personal device to access files. It's quite straightforward, isn't it?