remote access vpn best practices

^{VPN Best Practices for Remote Workers}

1. Use a Remote VPN for Untrusted Networks. We recommend using a remote VPN when you’re working on an untrusted network, like the internet connection at a local coffee shop ...
2. Be Mindful about VPN Bandwidth. If your company offers a remote VPN, that VPN only has so much bandwidth to go around. ...
3. Download Your VPN Profile on Work Devices Only. Again, keep in mind that your company’s remote VPN is a limited resource, so you don’t want to hoard licenses with ...
4. Don’t Trust all VPN Providers. If your company doesn’t offer remote VPN access to begin with, be discerning before running out and finding your own VPN provider.

Full Answer

What are the best practices for securing remote access?

Best Practices for Securing Remote Access. RAS: The most basic form of VPN remote access is through a RAS. This type of VPN connection is also referred to as a Virtual Private Dial-up Network ... IPSec: IPSec is an IP packet authentication and encryption method. It uses cryptographic keys to protect ...

How to protect your network from remote access?

So, you have a three-layer line of defense working to protect remote access to your network: anti-virus, firewall, and VPN. The network security team should monitor alerts from these defenses constantly. Adopting two-factor authentication for remote access through VPN further boosts your network security.

How do businesses use remote access VPN?

Businesses use remote access VPNs to establish a secure connection between their network and the devices used by remote workers. Once connected, employees are able to access the resources on the network just as if their devices were physically plugged in at the office.

What are the best practices for VPN client and gateway management?

These best practices cover both client and gateway management. Here are a few ideas. Managed service providers have a choice of client software when establishing client-to-gateway VPN connections. Native OS software. Apple, Windows, and Linux all offer native VPN client software. These can be used with some, but not all, gateways.

What are the best practices in setting up a VPN?

Best practices for choosing and hardening a VPNSelect a standards-based VPN. ... Use a VPN with strong cryptography. ... Manage software vulnerabilities. ... Limit VPN access. ... Secure VPN traffic.

Which VPN is best for remote access?

Perimeter 81 – Best all-round business VPN. Jul 2022. ... GoodAccess – Security Strategy Options. Apps Available: ... ExpressVPN – Lightning Fast VPN. ... Windscribe – VPN with Enterprise-Friendly Features. ... VyprVPN – Secure VPN with Business Packages. ... NordVPN – Security-first VPN. ... Surfshark – VPN with Unlimited User Connections.

Can I use a VPN for remote access?

A remote access virtual private network (VPN) enables users who are working remotely to securely access and use applications and data that reside in the corporate data center and headquarters, encrypting all traffic the users send and receive.

What is a best practice for compliance in the remote access domain?

Setting up a VPN and requiring all remote connections to pass through it is a basic best practice for keeping resources secure when employees work remotely.

What are important characteristics of remote access VPNs?

What is an important characteristic of remote-access VPNs?The VPN configuration is identical between the remote devices.Internal hosts have no knowledge of the VPN.Information required to establish the VPN must remain static.The VPN connection is initiated by the remote user.

Why do companies use VPN for remote work?

A VPN allows remote employees to become an extension of the network as if they're in the office with the same security and connectivity benefits. Think of it as a secure network line from a user to applications, whether those applications reside in a private data center or on a public network.

What is the difference between VPN and remote access?

A VPN is a smaller private network that runs on top of a larger public network, while Remote Desktop is a type of software that allows users to remotely control a computer. 2. Remote Desktop allows access and control to a specific computer, while VPN only allows access to shared network resources.

Is VPN better than RDP?

You should be able to remotely access network resources without performance or security issues. If you need a wide range of processes, functionality, and capabilities that aren't supported by VPN, an RDP solution is the better choice.

Is VPN safer than RDP?

The essential difference when comparing VPNs and RDP is that a VPN doesn't provide your device with any additional functionality the way an RDP does. You're still using the same old device, only that its IP address has changed and it is now a whole lot more secure when accessing the Internet.

What should be in a remote access policy?

A remote access policy should cover everything—from the types of users who can be given network access from outside the office to device types that can be used when connecting to the network. Once written, employees must sign a remote access policy acceptance form.

How do I make remote access reliable and safe?

7 Best Practices For Securing Remote Access for EmployeesDevelop a Cybersecurity Policy For Remote Workers. ... Choose a Remote Access Software. ... Use Encryption. ... Implement a Password Management Software. ... Apply Two-factor Authentication. ... Employ the Principle of Least Privilege. ... Create Employee Cybersecurity Training.

What are security considerations for remote users examples?

Five Remote Access Security Risks And How To Protect Against ThemWeak remote access policies. ... A deluge of new devices to protect. ... Lack of visibility into remote user activity. ... Users mixing home and business passwords. ... Opportunistic phishing attempts.

Is VPN required for remote desktop?

By default, Windows Remote Desktop will only work on your local network. To access Remote Desktop over the Internet, you'll need to use a VPN or forward ports on your router.

Can I use NordVPN for Remote Desktop?

Unfortunately, you will not be able to use a remote desktop with NordVPN. Remote desktop service requires specific open ports and port-forwarding. Currently, we do not allow port-forwarding due to security reasons.

What is the difference between a site to site VPN and a remote access VPN?

A remote access VPN connects remote users from any location to a corporate network. A site-to-site VPN, meanwhile, connects individual networks to each other.

How do you remotely access another computer?

Use Remote Desktop to connect to the PC you set up: On your local Windows PC: In the search box on the taskbar, type Remote Desktop Connection, and then select Remote Desktop Connection. In Remote Desktop Connection, type the name of the PC you want to connect to (from Step 1), and then select Connect.

What is remote access VPN?

What is a remote access VPN? Businesses use remote access VPNs to establish a secure connection between their network and the devices used by remote workers. Once connected, employees are able to access the resources on the network just as if their devices were physically plugged in at the office.

What are the advantages of remote access VPN?

Another advantage of remote access VPNs is that they provide companies with an affordable way to secure data sent by offsite employees. The initial investment needed to set up a remote access VPN is minimal and they can easily be scaled as a company grows and this is especially true if a VPN service provider is used.

Why is VPN important for business?

The most important benefit though is data security. When an offsite employee sends data through a VPN, it is encrypted, so even if a hacker is able to intercept that data, they won’t be able to use it. This is particularly important if an employee accesses their companies’ network using public Wi-Fi while traveling because traffic sent over these networks is usually not encrypted.

What is a network access server?

A network access server could be a dedicated server or it might be a software application running on a shared server. Users connect to the NAS over the internet in order to use a remote access VPN. In order to sign in to the VPN, the NAS requires that users provide valid credentials. To authenticate these credentials, the NAS uses either its own authentication process or a separate authentication server running on the network.

Why do businesses use VPNs?

Businesses use remote access VPNs to establish a secure connection between their network and the devices used by remote workers. Once connected, employees are able to access the resources on the network just as if their devices were physically plugged in at the office.

What is site to site VPN?

A site-to-site VPN uses a secure gateway to connect a network at one location to one or more networks at another location. This type of VPN doesn’t require each device at the end location to have a VPN client installed because the gateway handles the traffic.

Is it good to work remotely?

The ability to work remotely is one of the perks that many businesses offer employees to help sweeten the deal. The recent coronavirus outbreak has only exacerbated that, leading many more organizations to allow their employees to work remotely. While this is good news for employees, it could end up causing a great deal of disruption to organizations that aren’t prepared and one way to do so is to look into remote access VPN solutions.

When to use VPN?

We recommend using a remote VPN when you’re working on an untrusted network, like the internet connection at a local coffee shop or a public network in a hotel room. If you know who controls the network — such as with your password-protected home WiFi — the remote VPN is not as necessary. If you don’t control the network and/or don’t know who controls it, use the VPN.

Is Wi-Fi more secure than private?

Wired puts it this way: “A public Wi-Fi network is inherently less secure than your personal, private one, because you don’t know who set it up, or who else is connecting to it.

Can you disconnect from VPN while watching Netflix?

If your company offers a remote VPN, that VPN only has so much bandwidth to go around. If you’re watching Netflix or joining a Zoom meeting, both would be good times to disconnect from the VPN and preserve that bandwidth for someone who needs increased security as they send work emails from the cafe around the corner.

Types of VPN Connections

To best support a client’s virtual private network connections, it is important to understand logical design and the difference between VPN clients and VPN gateways. Each client’s need will help determine which connection is best for the situation.

VPN Management Best Practices

As with most technical configurations, every managed service provider should follow a set of best practices while managing virtual private networks. These best practices cover both client and gateway management. Here are a few ideas.

VPN Protocol Selection

Several different protocols can be chosen for VPN encapsulation. Each has its advantages and it is important to understand what each offers when choosing what’s best to use.

Conclusion

For managed service providers to get ahead in the “new normal” of work environments, they must be able to provide their clients with virtual private networks that will meet their needs and keep their data safe. Having a deep understanding of how virtual private networks work and the best management practices is just the first step.

How to allow remote access to a network?

Allowing access to an organization’s resources from outside the corporate network may be necessary for some businesses. Logically, when this kind of remote access is allowed, your organization takes on additional risks, and the access should be handled as securely as possible by: 1 Ensuring the remote access is encrypted (SSL, IPSec, etc.) 2 Ensuring there is strong authentication for remote access (Multi-factor Authentication or MFA) 3 Ensuring that strong passwords are required for remote access 4 If possible, require remote users to use company-provided hardware that has been secured to your company standards. Otherwise, ensure that employees understand the reasonable standards they should be taking (e.g., antivirus, passwords, etc.)

Why do we review remote access authorizations?

Review authorizations for remote access regularly to assure that no unwanted personnel can access.

Is it necessary to allow access to resources outside the corporate network?

Allowing access to an organization’s resources from outside the corporate network may be necessary for some businesses . Logically, when this kind of remote access is allowed, your organization takes on additional risks, and the access should be handled as securely as possible by:

Is MFA enough for RDP?

If RDP or RDWeb are business-critical, using MFA isn't enough. They must also be used with a VPN. Remote technologies to use with extreme caution: Remote Desktop Protocol ( Never expose directly to the Internet) RDWeb (remote desktop over the web) Limit and review who has access.

How to improve VPN security?

Another way to improve VPN security is through perfect forward secrecy (PFS). If PFS is used, encrypted communications and sessions recorded in the past cannot be retrieved and decrypted should long-term secret keys or passwords be compromised.

Which VPN protocol is best?

Which VPN protocol is best depends on the enterprise and the individual. For those looking for the most secure, OpenVPN is the best. For those looking for support for many devices, PPTP may be the way to go.

How does a VPN work?

A VPN involves the transfer of encrypted data wrapped with a header containing routing information. This process enables the data to travel securely over a shared or public network to reach its endpoint.

What are the different types of VPNs?

There are basically four types of VPNs: 1 A firewall-based VPN is equipped with both a firewall and VPN capabilities. This type uses the security provided by firewalls to restrict access to an internal network and provides address translation, user authentication, alarms and logging. 2 A hardware-based VPN provides high network throughput as well as improved performance and reliability, but is also expensive. 3 A software-based VPN provides flexibility in terms of how traffic is managed. This is best for when endpoints are not controlled by the same party and when different firewalls and routers are used. 4 A secure socket layer (SSL) VPN enables users to connect to VPN devices using a web browser. SSL is used to encrypt traffic between the web browser and the VPN device.

What is VPN connection?

From the user’s perspective, the VPN connection is a point-to-point connection between the user’s computer and a corporate server. The nature of the public network is irrelevant to the user because it appears as if the data is being sent over a dedicated private link. As workers become more mobile, VPN connections allow users working at home ...

Why are VPNs important?

VPNs were developed to solve two challenges: the high cost of leased lines for branch offices, and the growing need to enable remote workers to access the corporate network securely. While VPNs provide security by encrypting data and sending it through a “tunnel,” there are limitations to that security.

Which is the most secure VPN?

So how do you choose the most secure VPN? Even though it is open source-based , many view OpenVPN as the most secure VPN protocol. It is stable and reliable, easily configured to run on any port, supports hardware acceleration for improved speeds, is able to traverse firewalls and network address translation (NAT), and uses OpenSSL libraries for encryption. However, it requires client software and cannot be used on iPhones and only on a limited number of Android phones.