As cybersecurity becomes a necessity for every business, there are many different approaches to choose from. So, what areas of your business do you need to focus on the most for cybersecurity? What tools and strategies are best for remote work? With phrases like “Zero Trust”, “shadow IT” being tossed around, you may wonder: what’s the difference between zero trust vs VPN?
What Is VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private network. It’s a type of connection used to link a remote computer to a company network. This gives a user access to the same resources and assets that they would have if they were in the office. Businesses have been using VPNs for decades, but they’ve become more prominent with the recent push towards remote work after the COVID-19 pandemic.
How does VPN work?
VPN connections create encrypted tunnels between the corporate network and a user’s device. It assumes a secure perimeter within a trusted network and operates on a tiered system of access for higher-ranking individuals in an organization. With a VPN, employees can access the same applications and resources while working remotely as if they were physically in the office.
Sometimes called the “castle and moat” system, VPNs are typically secured around the perimeter of the company network. This creates some additional considerations for cybersecurity, so you’ll need to have them set up correctly.
Cybersecurity Considerations
VPN connections are still widely used by companies to allow remote work. VPNs should have certain safeguards in place to mitigate the risk of a cyber attack. Your organization can work to secure your VPN connections by:
- Creating strong passwords
- Using multi factor authentication
- Allowing only company-managed devices to connect to VPNs
- Training staff on phishing and other threats that could easily lead to a breach
Zero Trust vs VPN
Separate from VPNs, Zero Trust is a cybersecurity framework to apply to your entire network. It works to secure a network by requiring every application to be specifically approved by an IT team before it can be used. This sets up roadblocks to stop malware in its tracks before it can infect an entire network.
Zero Trust’s focus on users, assets, and resources as the riskiest elements of cybersecurity sets it apart as an industry best practice in cybersecurity. After all, human error is a cause of most malware attacks, as these attacks become easier to fall for every day.
Zero Trust NIST Recommendations
Because of the rigorous cybersecurity measures outlined by Zero Trust, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has listed it as a recommendation for businesses to follow. NIST cites Zero Trust as a response to the workforce trending towards remote work, employees using outside devices, and assets being stored within cloud-based company networks. Zero Trust protects all assets.
How to Implement Zero Trust Security Solutions
Now that you know how Zero Trust works, you can get started researching and finding out how it can be applied to your business. There are countless tools on the market that can help safeguard your business. To learn more about Zero Trust and how it relates to your cybersecurity plan, check out our article about it here.
To speak to a cybersecurity expert about your data security strategy, click the button below for a tech evaluation.
