Cybercrime is rising and is expected to continue as we move toward 2025. As of this year, global losses now total over $10 trillion, which is an increase of 25% since the $8 trillion reported in 2022. It’s no wonder that virtual private network (VPN) services have also surged to an all-time high, with the industry market value projected to hit $75.59 billion by 2027.
You may have heard that there are different types of VPNs but not sure which is the right one for you. Basically, VPN solutions are used for two main purposes – business and personal. A business VPN is a corporate tool, whereas a home or personal VPN focuses on leisure-related uses. The purpose of a VPN is to securely connect a user to the Internet or a corporate network by creating an encrypted tunnel between their device and a server.
The main difference between the two types of VPNs is not the technology but the desired use. Let’s look at the use cases for business (B2B) and consumer VPN (B2C) to help make sense of which one is right for you.
The main difference between personal and business VPNs is that a personal VPN primarily focuses on individual privacy and secure browsing. In contrast, a business VPN provides secure access and centralized management of company networks and resources, with advanced control and scalability for teams and organizations. Here’s a comparison table of a personal VPN and an enterprise VPN:
A business VPN offers a secure way for remote workers to access a company’s resources, while also giving organizations centralized control over network security. Business VPNs allow for the customization of access policies, ensuring that teams and individuals only access the data and applications they need. With features like dedicated IP addresses, network segmentation, and third-party integrations, these VPNs provide robust protection and management tools for businesses of all sizes.
Let’s explore some use cases and the benefits corporate VPN solutions bring to organizations:
Remote work has become the new norm, allowing remote workers to work from home, cafes, or co-working spaces. However, with this flexibility comes increased cybersecurity risks, such as data exposure over unsecured public Wi-Fi networks. For example, an employee working in a cafe may unknowingly put your company's data at risk when accessing corporate resources via public Wi-Fi.
A VPN enables safe access by creating an encrypted tunnel between the remote worker’s device and the company’s network. This ensures that sensitive data remains protected, even if intercepted by hackers. Employees can safely access their company’s intranet, emails, applications, and other resources from anywhere, reducing the risk of data breaches.
Data breaches can be devastating to both small and large companies. They not only result in financial losses but may seriously damage a company’s reputation and even put it out of business completely. 44% of customers would stop buying from a company that fell victim to a cybercrime. Last year, data breaches cost companies an average of 3.86 million dollars, 40% of it due to lost business.
A corporate VPN helps prevent such breaches by allowing secure private access and centralized control over user access and device management. Admins can restrict access to sensitive information and monitor activity across the network. Additionally, integrating strong password management tools with business VPN solutions further protects against unauthorized access. For companies requiring custom solutions, NordLayer offers tailored functionalities that ensure both flexibility and security.
Business VPNs like NordLayer offer the flexibility to create and manage teams, gateways, and servers, enabling you to assign specific users to specific resources. For example, administrators can purchase dedicated servers with static IP addresses that are accessible only by authorized users. This allows for dividing the network, where certain teams have access only to the resources they need.
By using allow-listing and static IPs, you can filter out unauthorized access and create a segmented network that enhances security and productivity.
Many regions enforce internet restrictions that can prevent access to essential tools and services. With a company VPN, remote employees can bypass these geographical restrictions by connecting to a VPN server in a region with fewer limitations.
For instance, while traveling for business, employees can use the VPN to access internal databases, documents, and services as if they were in an unrestricted area, ensuring that work continues smoothly.
Business VPNs are built for company-wide access, providing centralized control over network protection. Admins can manage users, monitor their activity, and enforce security policies from a single dashboard. This also includes features like role-based access control (RBAC), where employees only access the data necessary for their roles, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access.
With customizable access policies, business VPNs can support multiple users and devices while allowing for easy integration with other security tools, making them a crucial part of a company’s security architecture.
Corporate VPN providers, such as NordLayer, go beyond VPN by offering advanced secure remote access solutions like secure internet browsing, DNS filtering, and malware protection. In addition to traditional VPN, functions, cloud-based solutions eliminate the need for hardware, making it quick and easy to deploy across the company.
NordLayer also offers an Always On VPN feature, ensuring that employees maintain a secure connection at all times. If the VPN connection drops, internet traffic is disabled until the connection is restored, adding an extra layer of protection against cyber threats.
A personal or consumer VPN is a service designed to secure your own devices and online activity outside of work. One in four internet users has utilized a VPN at least once. The main reasons to use a personal VPN include safeguarding data online, enhancing privacy, and accessing global content. Here's why a personal VPN might be essential:
Public Wi-Fi networks in cafés, airports, and shopping malls are convenient but risky. Cybercriminals often target such networks, potentially accessing your internet traffic to steal bank account details, login credentials, or even your identity. Using a remote access VPN ensures that all your internet traffic is encrypted, creating a secure tunnel that keeps your data safe from prying eyes.
Some content is only available in specific regions. For example, you may realize that your favorite social media, gaming platform, or news site is not available in the country you’ve traveled to. To avoid such disappointments, you can click on a VPN server close to your home and enjoy the content as if you’ve never left. That’s because the sites you want to access will see the IP address of the server you’re connected to, and not your real one.
And who doesn’t love a good deal? As an extra bonus, a personal VPN can help you save money on things like plane tickets, hotel rooms, and car rentals. Often, the prices increase because the website knows you have checked their product before. Next time you’re buying something online, try connecting to various server locations to find the best deal.
Every time you go online, your internet service provider (ISP) ensures you have an internet connection. As all your web traffic goes through their servers, the ISP can see everything you do online, and share this information with advertisers, corporations, and governments. A secure VPN prevents your ISP from tracking your online moves so you can browse the internet privately.
NordVPN has all these features and more. You can read one of NordVPN's reviews found online to learn about the details.
If your business is growing, keeping sensitive data secure becomes essential. There are several indicators that it's time to upgrade from a personal VPN to a business VPN, including:
Switching from a personal to a business VPN is a crucial step for growing companies. Follow these steps to ensure a smooth transition:
The time required to set up a business VPN can vary depending on the provider and the complexity of your company’s network infrastructure. However, with NordLayer, the process is fast and straightforward.
In most cases, NordLayer’s cloud-based VPN can be deployed in minutes without any infrastructure setup on the user's side. This ensures minimal disruption to business operations and immediate secure access for your team.
When your priority is business network protection, scalability, and compliance, switching to a business VPN like NordLayer is the best choice. With features like network monitoring, RBAC, and ZTNA NordLayer provides the advanced protection businesses need. However, for personal use, NordVPN remains a strong choice for securing individual devices.
Learn more about how NordLayer compares to NordVPN in our comparison: NordLayer vs. NordVPN
Agnė Srėbaliūtė
Senior Creative Copywriter
Agne is a writer with over 15 years of experience in PR, SEO, and creative writing. With a love for playing with words and meanings, she creates unique content. Introverted and often lost in thought, Agne balances her passion for the tech world with hiking adventures across various countries. She appreciates the IT field for its endless learning opportunities.
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