VPN technology is about 20 years old. Very few technologies have remained relatively static since the early 2000s. But VPNs have remained relatively unchanged for nearly two decades.
Its age does not necessarily mean that VPNs are obsolete. On the contrary, VPNs still provide reliable and secure network access for workers across the country. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the VPN has not only reasserted its value but has found new supporters in its approach to remote security.
Here are three reasons companies still need VPNs:
Cybercrimes Are Increasing
According to every law enforcement source, data intrusions and cybercrimes are on the rise. For example, the FBI reports that cybercrimes have increased 300% since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The reasons are obvious:
- Many businesses were caught unprepared when business shutdowns occurred in March 2020. As a result, many businesses had no time to deploy data center services that could provide secure environments for remote workers.
- Most remote workers were using personal devices to access data center modules remotely. These personal devices had little to no security and some were already compromised.
- Data center maintenance services were neglected during the shutdown due to stay-at-home orders.
The need for an easily deployed and reliable security technology like VPNs became obvious very early on.
VPNs Are Reliable
VPNs are well understood by most IT professionals. The technology is easily deployed by any experienced network administrator or data center maintenance manager.
More importantly, IT managers know how to troubleshoot and fix VPNs due to their many years of experience with the technology. This allows the system to be maintained and even deployed remotely.
These benefits do not necessarily make up for the drawbacks of VPNs for large enterprises. VPNs are not scalable, can bog down under heavy traffic, and can expose your data center to intrusions. But in an emergency situation, VPNs can provide a stopgap solution to allow remote access.
VPNs are Ingrained Into Businesses
Although businesses can benefit from looking at newer solutions that provide better security and performance, VPNs are integrated into some businesses’ systems and, for now, are necessary to the data center. This means that until a solution can be engineered that can replace the legacy VPN system, some businesses simply cannot replace their VPNs.
This is made even more challenging by the fact that VPNs for many of these businesses are already paid for. Investing in a replacement system could require a substantial capital investment that many companies are not prepared to make until the economy stabilizes.
Moreover, performing data center maintenance by repairing or replacing VPN hardware is cheap compared to implementing an entirely new system. VPNs are not necessarily cheap, but they are certainly cheaper than a data center overhaul.
VPNs might not be a permanent fixture in your data center. But they are still useful and fulfill a need that businesses are facing right now. Without their VPNs, many businesses would be severely constrained in their ability to carry on during the pandemic. This is enough reason for most businesses to keep their VPNs, at least in the short term.
To learn more about what your data center needs, contact them for mission critical support solutions today.
