Here’s the thing about cybercriminals: they don’t care whether it’s just a startup or a small business. As long as there’s sensitive personal or company information they can use for their illegal activities, they will target the business website or company systems.

So, the question is: how safe are your operations? As a local business, it surely took a lot of time, effort, and resources to get to where the company is today. Having it compromised - losing the trust of customers, and worse, possibly facing legal consequences for a data breach - is not one of your business plans.

This is why it’s imperative to establish your cybersecurity protocols, such as using a VPN for remote teams and local business transactions. But what exactly do VPNs do? How do they help your business? Well, you’ve come to the right page. Keep reading to learn more.

Here’s What You Need to Know About VPNs - and What They Do to Keep Your Business Operations Secure

For sure, this is not the first time that you’ve heard of VPNs. Even before you’ve worked with remote teams or established the operations of your local business, you must have come across the term when browsing the internet, probably popping up on ads, or through casual conversations about internet safety.

However, with the growing cases of cyberattacks among remote teams and local businesses, the need to secure your internet connection and protect critical business information has become a primary concern. After all, you wouldn’t want to compromise everything you’ve worked hard for, right? 

Because of how advanced the technologies employed by hackers have become - and how our lives have now revolved around the internet - VPN providers have adapted to these evolving needs, transforming what was once a simple security tool into a feature-rich solution that comes with:

• Antivirus Package. To provide the users with real-time protection against malware that can result in data breaches and system damage.

• Killswitch. To automatically disconnect the connection from the internet if the VPN drops, to keep your IP address from being exposed online.

• Cutting-edge Encryption Protocols. To ensure near-impenetrability with the use of unique encryption keys.

• No-Logs Policy. To prevent providers from recording and storing any business information, such as browsing history, IP addresses, or other data that could be used to identify or track the business’s transactions.

• Leak Protection. To help monitor and check if the provider is properly masking your activity from your ISP.

Other features of leading VPNs, such as Surfshark, NordVPN, and ExpressVPN, also include CleanWeb, split tunneling, NoBorders Mode, and support for unlimited device connections under one account. This is a more practical and cost-effective option if you’re a small business trying to manage expenses or working remotely with different individuals across borders or in various parts of the world.

For a more detailed look at the other features that can help your business stay safe using VPNs, Cybernews experts recently tested the leading VPN service providers to see if they live up to their promises on privacy features, security tools, pricing, and speed. Check out the Surfshark review for more information.

How VPNs Can Keep Your Operations Secure

There’s no denying how work settings have changed since the pandemic. At present, we’ve seen how both international companies and local businesses have leveraged e-commerce sites and social media platforms to reach more potential customers, bring together diverse talents from all around the world to collaborate and brainstorm new ideas for the company, and, of course, drive business growth and revenue.

But while these newly laid-out practices are beneficial, making business operations smoother and streamlined, like many other innovations, these have also come with their own set of challenges. Vulnerabilities have surfaced, requiring robust solutions, such as the use of VPNs. 

But why VPN?

1. Secure Remote Access.

Studies have shown how hybrid and remote workforces have increased flexibility and productivity among employees. But while convenient, this has also been a source of concern because of how access to public Wi-Fi can put the company’s data at risk, most especially if the network is not secure. With the use of VPNs, business owners can now take confidence that data transmissions, collaborative projects, and critical business information are kept safe, even when accessed outside the business premises. 

2. Access Controls.

Different employees, different tasks. This means they also need different resources and data to work on. For easy monitoring and minimizing the risks of data breaches, it is important to carefully define job responsibilities, especially among those working remotely.

While many companies have been very diligent about reminding employees to follow security protocols, human errors remain one of the reasons for security lapses in 2025. But this can be mitigated with VPN’s access control feature. Through this mechanism, local business owners and project managers can now manage and regularly access data, preventing untoward incidents from happening and minimizing potential damages.

3. Cost-Effective Solutions.

Every business endeavor comes with a corresponding cost. For some SMEs, they’d rather allocate a part of their budget to something else rather than to security protocols, thinking that they won’t be targeted by hackers. Unfortunately, 40% of small businesses have experienced cyberattacks because of this lack of cybersecurity infrastructure.

Contrary to common assumptions, VPNs are among the most cost-effective tools for protecting business data and online activity. Many reputable providers offer free trials, flexible packages, and huge discounts. For example, SurfsharkVPN allows unlimited devices on a single account and is currently offering an 87% discount with the code CHEAPCN.

What Remote Teams and Local Businesses Need to Know About VPNs: In a Nutshell

Don’t let cybercriminals take away what you’ve spent years conceptualizing, saving for, and building. Make sure to establish clear protocols among your employees and remote teams and help them understand the importance of VPNs, as well as other cybersecurity measures, such as MFAs, firewalls, antivirus, and password managers.

By utilizing cybersecurity tools and working with reliable business partners for your e-commerce and digital marketing needs, you can be certain that your business can run smoothly and adapt to the evolving threats of 2025.

So, what security measures have been implemented by your team or company so far?

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