For companies and organizations quickly racing to prepare their employees for the remote work environment during the COVID-19 crisis, it may be time to consider a remote access solution.
Depending on your needs, a remote access solution can allow employees or members of your organization to securely access resources located in your private network or remotely connect to another physical computer.
So which remote access solution is right for your business or organization?
Business or Enterprise-Level VPNs
Most organizations use a business VPN to allow employees or users to connect to the company’s network no matter where they are located.VPNs are perfect for users who need to access certain resources, databases, intranet (an important distinction from the internet) sites that are only available on the company networks, and otherwise inaccessible from a home network. Pre-COVID-19, a business VPN worked well for employees or users who telecommuted and occasionally needed to grab a file from the server or wanted secure access while browsing on public networks.Now with a large majority of employees working remotely, more users are connecting to the VPN and this could create some issues for the network itself. Companies should ask themselves the following and consider if a business VPN is suited for them.
- Do you have enough VPN licenses for employees/users?
- Can your network handle the bandwidth as more employees connect to the network?
- How will you regulate access to the VPN? Are employees automatically logged off?
Furthermore, one of the major weak points of VPNs is authentication itself. Whether the VPN uses 2FA authentication, such as OTP, what happens when employee PCs or account rights are stolen by hackers?The fact of the matter is VPNs do not block from hacking attempts, so once an employee PC or account is compromised, then your network becomes exposed and open to cyberattacks.
Remote Desktop Software
The most popular remote desktop software out there is RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol), Microsoft’s free proprietary protocol that allows one user (i.e host machine) to fully control a remote computer through a network connection.Though RDP is Microsoft’s in-house developed technology, there are many other remote desktop programs and software available that work exactly the same. Remote desktop software works best for remote management. This is ideal for IT administrators or other security specialists who need access to a remote employee’s computer to perform maintenance, troubleshooting, or other IT-related requests.Remote desktop software also works for remote employees who need to access large local files that would otherwise require a long time to download over a VPN.Unfortunately, there are higher security risks associated with remote desktop software; if the connection is hijacked, a hacker can steal or delete important data or files on the computer, install spyware, and so much more.
Cloudbric Remote Access Solution(RAS, Cloudbric RAS)
If none of these solutions fit your business or organizational needs, there are other remote access solutions that may meet your requirements. These tools may include cloud computing solutions whether it be for storage, filing, or collaborative purposes. Another alternative is Cloudbric’s Remote Access Solution which works vastly different from traditional VPNs and remote desktop software.Both VPNs and remote access software like RDP require server- and client-side installation for the solution to work. This opens the gates to potential connection errors and untracked access. Cloudbric on the other hand employs 24/7 traffic monitoring to only allow authorized users to enter the network and checks for any malicious activity without any extra installations required. (Register your spot to get it for FREE). Above all, the greatest advantage of Cloudbric Remote Access Solution is that it can defend against hacking attempts, unlike VPNs. As mentioned, it does this through its 24/7 traffic monitoring and hacks prevention security. While many developers or companies may want to turn to simple solutions like Google Chrome’s remote access plugin, consider the same vulnerabilities posed by VPNs in that accounts may get compromised.There are higher risks now that hackers exploiting victims during the COVID-19 crisis, and a compromised account through such a plugin can pose a tremendous security threat to your entire company or organization.
Conclusion
Preparing a secure remote work environment is not always an easy task. It requires businesses and organizations to be flexible in adopting new technologies for the remote workforce. This also means companies must know exactly what they aim to gain from implementing a new solution. Is it better security? Uncomplicated remote access? Easy setup? If you’re unsure which remote access solution is for you, shoot us a message at global@cloudbric.com.