If you believe the only way to have a simple setup is with a portal to another world, we’re here to tell you the piece of cake promise is NOT a lie. It can be done in less than 30 minutes, and we’re showing you how.
You may have recently signed up for Access Server, or perhaps you're thinking about it. If so, this webinar on-demand is for you. In this webinar, we walk through the most common use cases and how to get started, from signup to setup to launch. You’ll learn how to make your first connections on a private server and how to set up the most common business use case: secure remote access for hybrid and remote workforces.
Common network security threats & challenges
Remote and hybrid work aren’t going anywhere, with at least a quarter of all office employees working remotely at least half of the week. And that presents a big opportunity for bad actors to attack through unsecured networks.
Some of the main security challenges include:
- Data protection and confidentiality: Bad actors know that Personal Identifiable Information (PII) has major value in the dark web, and unsecured networks are an easy target. According to recent data, 40% of Americans believe their personal information is at risk when using public WiFi. Personal data loss prevention ultimately boils down to identifying confidential data, tracking usage, and preventing unauthorized access to sensitive business assets. This starts with creating secure network connections and encrypting data in transit.
- Managing compliance requirements: Since compliance is not a one-time process, today’s business environment involves dealing with local, state, and federal laws that are changing all the time. Making sure your security strategy helps you maintain compliance can be daunting. It’s important to ensure you have the basics, like secure encryption, in place to cover your bases.
- Man in the middle attacks: Remote users who do not use an enterprise VPN are particularly vulnerable to man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. A MITM attack, or on-path attack, occurs when a bad actor eavesdrops, relays, and potentially alters the communication between two parties who believe they are directly communicating with each other. These data breaches often occur on poorly secured networks when using public WiFi.
- DDoS: Hackers use distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks to force people offline by flooding a network with requests and traffic. The high volume of unwanted internet traffic from hackers overwhelms the site so legitimate requests from real users can't get through. Wondering what differentiates a DDoS attack from a Denial of Service (DOS) attack? The main difference is that DoS attacks use a single machine while DDoS attacks employ multiple machines.
- Malware: Malware is often the most recognized form of cyberattack because of how pervasive it is. Malware is any software intentionally designed to cause disruption. But it can be hard to spot malware, especially when it is part of a social engineering campaign (like phishing emails or social posts). The best prevention for malware is securing your network and blocking network intrusions through intrusion detection points.
Why choose to run a self-hosted VPN solution?
Now that you’ve read all of the threats (that you likely already knew you were facing daily), let’s get to the good news: a VPN solution can help.
OpenVPN’s self-hosted Access Server can help you:
- Run an air-gapped network to reduce risk of outside intrusion.
- Stay in compliance with laws or rules in your country or industry governing where data can go. For example, there may be regulations that state that data cannot be routed outside of the country where you operate. By routing to a private server, you can avoid sending the data to a point of presence in another country and violating the regulation.
- Gain the convenience of choosing when to do maintenance/updates. You can schedule your own maintenance as needed during the hours that will have the lowest impact on your business, rather than have the time and date dictated to you.
- Encrypt data and communications from end to end for more secure networking.
Ready to get started?
You can try Access Server for free. Get two free connections with no limit on features or capabilities locked behind a paywall.
Not ready to sign up? You can also check out our interactive demo here.