Most companies, especially the bigger ones, have several departments, maybe even offices, that cooperate and bring the pieces together to complete the job. Well, understandably, they should also be able to bring their networks together for ease of use and security reasons.
Site-to-site VPN services are created to do exactly this. Companies use these VPN services to have a private, anonymous, and secure internet connection between various LANs. If you’re looking for a comprehensive guide on site-to-site VPNs, this article is the only thing you need. Let’s dive into the subject and explain all about it.
What is a site-to-site VPN?
According to Findstack, 88% of companies migrated to the remote work model in 2020, increasing the need for a secure way to connect with remote offices. Companies with several physical offices have to communicate safely or else they are exposed to various cyberattacks.
In order to protect different corporate networks from cyber threats, site-to-site VPNs keep data encrypted between locations and provide a private gateway for data to be transferred securely. Thanks to this VPN service, companies can connect with offices around the world without any security concerns.
There are two different types of site-to-site VPN; intranet and extranet-based site-to-site VPN. Intranet-based site-to-site VPN creates a single wide-area network (WAN) by combining several networks. It’s mostly used by companies with several offices remote to each other. Perfect for gathering the works of different offices together.
Extranet-based VPNs provide secure communication and file transfer between different companies. They allow partners and affiliates to securely share information while ensuring the integrity and security of internal networks. Consider if you have business partners you need to communicate externally.
Top benefits a site to site VPN
Well, cybersecurity is a path to success. If you communicate with other networks online, you need to secure your network if you don’t want to deal with profit loss or legal issues. You can easily get rid of any potential risk by adopting a site to site VPN from a vendor. Let’s see its benefits in detail.
Bulletproof internal network
Cyberthreats are growing and you need to be aware of them especially if you store sensitive data. Having a site-to-site VPN will eliminate most of these threats by securing connections and file sharing online and between your different networks.
If you worry about data being stolen while sending or receiving, implementing this solution is the easiest way to solve this problem.
Scalable WAN and network security
Site-to-site VPNs are highly scalable and there is always room for a new office’s network or a new business partner. Let’s say you opened up a new branch in a different country; you can easily add their network to the WAN without deploying hardware to get that specific network up and running.
The same goes for extranet-based site-to-site VPNs. If you have a new business partner, you can add them to your network easily without worrying about infrastructure.
Access control
Certain parts of a business network are meant to be accessible to internal users, but those internal users might also be remote. So you need to block external access while also separating internal remote users among them.
Thankfully, site-to-site VPNs are only accessible to internal users regardless of their location. Thus, you don’t have to worry about external access as the VPN service will automatically block them. But the remote team members will still be able to access corporate data.
Easier & secure connectivity
Companies have various partners, tools, or in some cases, remote offices. They have to work together with a collective network in which all employees from each separate network are able to see others’ work.
Site-to-site VPNs encrypt all the traffic between the networks on the architecture and ensure the protection of any business-related data. It creates a collective network while also preventing eavesdropping and misuse.
Lower network latency
Network latency is a significant problem, especially for those working in remote offices rather than headquarters.
Site-to-site VPNs are great solutions to lower network latency as you can route all the traffic through MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) thanks to the VPN provider’s structure you’re working with. By using MPLS, you’ll be lowering network latency significantly and providing better access to your remote members.
Do you need a site-to-site VPN solution?
Well, it depends on your needs as there are several different VPN types to choose from. But it’s safe to say that you can really benefit from a site-to-site VPN service if you;
- Are a big or growing company operating with different and remote offices,
- Store customer or employee information which is considered as ‘sensitive data’
- Share business data and personal information with others online
- Have business partners you work together and cooperate on the same tasks
Basically, if you engage in communications with others online in an unencrypted network, the data you share or receive will always be at serious risk. If you don’t want sensitive data being stolen and dealing with legal issues, you need a site-to-site VPN solution.
If your company’s vision is to grow and work with various partners or cover different time zones by opening up new offices, a site-to-site VPN should be your first choice in terms of cybersecurity.
