Working from home, mobile working, and access to corporate data on the go have long been part of everyday life for many Swiss SMEs. Employees work at home, on the train, in a hotel, or at the customer's site, connecting to online services via a wide variety of networks.
This raises an important question: How can data and internet connections outside the company network be better protected?
A VPN can provide a useful additional layer of security. However, a Virtual Private Network is not a cure-all. The key is to understand what a VPN protects, when companies benefit from it, and where its limits lie.
What is a VPN?
VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. Put simply, an encrypted connection is established between the device being used and a VPN server.
Internet traffic is routed over this connection. This helps protect data against eavesdropping, particularly in foreign or untrusted networks.
For the user, this usually happens in the background: activate the VPN connection and then work as usual.
Why can a VPN be useful for businesses?
The classical concept of a corporate network with a fixed office, local computers, and a clearly defined infrastructure has long since ceased to correspond to the everyday reality of many workplaces.
For example, employees access business data from the following locations:
- Working from home
- Hotels and vacation rentals
- Airports and train stations
- public Wi-Fi networks
- Customer and partner locations
- Mobile connections
A VPN can be particularly useful when it is not possible to fully control which network is used to establish a connection.
Public Wi-Fi networks: A typical application area
Free Wi-Fi in a hotel, restaurant, or at the airport is convenient. However, companies usually have no control over how this network was set up and secured.
A VPN encrypts the connection between the device and the VPN server. This creates an additional layer of protection when employees access the internet via external networks.
However, this does not mean that using a VPN automatically makes every internet activity secure. Even with a VPN, secure websites, up-to-date software, and responsible handling of login credentials remain necessary.
VPN for working from home
A VPN can be useful even when working from home. This is particularly true when employees regularly work with business data or access company resources.
Depending on the technical infrastructure, different VPN concepts are used for this purpose. A corporate VPN, for example, can provide secure access to internal systems. A commercial VPN service, on the other hand, primarily protects the internet connection of the respective end device.
These two areas of application should not be confused with one another.
What does a VPN protect – and what does it not?
False expectations quickly arise when it comes to VPNs. A VPN improves the security of data transmission, but it does not replace a comprehensive IT security strategy.
Among other things, a VPN can:
- Encrypt internet traffic between client device and VPN server
- better secure the use of external networks
- change the public IP address toward visited services
- add an additional layer of security to mobile working
A VPN does not automatically protect against:
- Phishing
- insecure passwords
- Malware on the device
- compromised user accounts
- outdated software
- Misconfigurations
For example, anyone who enters their login credentials on a fake login page is not protected by having a VPN active at the same time.
VPN and secure passwords belong together
An encrypted transmission path helps little if user accounts are protected with weak or reused passwords.
For companies, therefore, a combination of different security measures is recommended. These include strong, unique passwords, multi-factor authentication, and controlled management of access credentials.
Find out more in our guide What is a password manager and why is it useful? .
Email security also remains important
Business email communication is also not automatically protected against spam, phishing, or malicious attachments by a VPN.
Separate protective mechanisms are necessary for this purpose, which analyze incoming messages and detect suspicious content, ideally before it reaches the inbox.
For information, please refer to Email security and spam protection .
VPN and data privacy: Who am I trusting with my data traffic?
When choosing a VPN provider, price shouldn't be the only factor considered. After all, a significant portion of internet traffic is routed through that provider's infrastructure.
Companies should therefore check, among other things:
- which encryption methods are used
- What privacy policies apply
- what information is logged
- where the provider is based
- which devices and operating systems are supported
- how users and devices can be managed
A VPN shifts part of the trust from the local network to the VPN provider. Therefore, this provider should be chosen carefully.
Does every SME need a VPN?
No. Using a VPN simply because it is generally considered secure is not a sensible IT strategy.
If all employees work exclusively at controlled workstations and no corresponding external access is required, the benefit may be limited.
The situation is different for companies whose employees regularly work mobile, are on business trips, or use foreign Wi-Fi networks. Here, a VPN can represent an uncomplicated additional layer of security.
VPN as part of a multilayered security strategy
Corporate security should not depend on a single technology. Rather, the interplay of several protective measures makes sense.
- VPN for secured connections
- Password manager for unique login credentials
- Multi-factor authentication for important accounts
- Email protection against spam and phishing
- regular updates
- Backups of important data and systems
If a protective layer fails or is bypassed, other safety mechanisms remain in place.
VPN Solutions at CURIAWEB
For companies, self-employed individuals, and private persons who want to further secure their internet connections, CURIAWEB offers suitable VPN solutions.
For more information on features and possible applications, please visit VPN solutions for businesses and individuals .
Conclusion: VPN yes – but for the right purpose
A VPN is not a magical shield against all IT risks. Used correctly, however, it fulfills a specific and important task: it creates an encrypted connection and can provide an additional layer of security, especially when working mobile and in untrusted networks.
For companies, a VPN should therefore not be viewed in isolation, but rather together with secure passwords, multi-factor authentication, email protection, updates, and backups.
Anyone who frequently works outside a controlled corporate environment has a good reason to consider using a VPN.
