Self Hosted VPN : Since the global COVID-19 pandemic began, remote working has become a permanent model for many businesses. That’s mainly because many employees enjoy greater flexibility in working hours and better work-life balance. But as for businesses, remote work models pose great security risks, especially when they fail to provide secure remote access to the remote force. In this matter, VPNs can be perfect solutions as they enable secure remote access, enhanced data protection, and improved network security against all kinds of malicious intrusions.

In the VPN market, there are numerous vendors and many different VPN types. But, all VPNs aren’t created equal and don’t enable exactly the same protection. On top of these, many companies hesitate to trust VPN providers and refuse to use hosted VPNs for their businesses even though these providers offer no-log policies. That’s mainly because they believe their online activities are tracked and stored by their VPN providers.

As an alternative, they head for self-hosted VPN solutions as they want to handle how data is being used and protected by themselves. Self-hosted VPNs work just as well as using a VPN service from a provider, provide almost exactly the same features as hosted VPNs, and encrypt all data transfers end-to-end. Let’s explain what is self-hosted VPN further. 

What Is Self Hosted VPN?

Self Hosted VPN uses the same virtual private network technology and self-hosted VPN servers create private tunnels between users and corporate networks so that they can securely access necessary resources to do their jobs productively. Additionally, it hides corporate networks and user activities from the public internet, and internet service providers (IPS). In short, it makes all data transfers, and user activities untrackable by everyone who isn’t authorized.

But, self-hosted VPNs require on-premise setup and they are hardware-based, meaning businesses have to build their own VPN server and take care of its maintenance. IT teams have to install updates and patches constantly in order to keep the VPN server up to date. If there is a problem in the server, IT teams are on their own to fix it.

Additionally, a self-hosted VPN requires a lot of resources, time, money, and expertise for its maintenance, but it offers greater configuration control all across the enterprise. For example, IT admins can control which tunneling (encryption) protocols are used or they can enable or disable server loggings anytime. Lastly, self-hosted VPNs are compatible with authentication tools such as two-factor authentication, biometrics, and other cryptographic methods. 

Self Hosted VPN Vs Hosted VPN: Which Is Better?

Over the years, there has been an ongoing debate about whether a self-hosted VPN is better than hosted VPN. In this matter, the answer changes according to the business’ needs. The most distinguished difference between the two of them is that self-hosted VPNs are hardware-based and require on-premise setup meanwhile hosted VPNs are cloud-based and don’t require any on-premise setup, users simply access the corporate resources via client VPN software. Hosted VPNs are easy to use and affordable.

While using hosted VPNs, businesses have to trust their providers regarding data protection and their no-log policies. But, when businesses use a self-hosted VPN, they can be really sure about no loggings, and they can set the tunneling protocols that they need. Additionally, a self-hosted VPN requires a lot of resources, time, staff, and money. If you have a small to midsize business, maintaining VPN servers can be challenging and unsustainable.

On the other hand, hosted VPN can be easily integrated into a company’s existing infrastructures and it doesn’t take much time. Additionally, businesses can purchase dedicated surveys, and create multiple gateways for their employees while a self-hosted VPN offers a static IP address which eliminates the online privacy and anonymity of businesses.  

When all of these differences are taken into account, hosted VPNs are better solutions for businesses that have limited resources and staff. But, for businesses that demand greater configuration control over VPN servers and tunneling protocols, self-hosted VPNs are the perfect fit. 

Why Do Businesses Need VPN?

Since remote working has become a permanent model, cyber crimes have been increasing drastically. Today, modern businesses are up against cyber threats more than ever. Additionally, if you own one of the SMBs, your business is more likely to be targeted for cyber attacks because more than 50% of cyber attacks are committed against SMBs. To safeguard your business, VPNs are essential components for maintaining network security.

Whether you choose to implement a self-hosted VPN or hosted VPN, both of them offer enhanced network security, data protection, and secure remote access. In today’s world, VPNs are a necessity rather than an extra because when businesses fall victim to a data breach, it costs them a lot more than VPNs.

Last Words  

In the VPN market, there are different types of VPNs that businesses can purchase from a vendor. But, in cases where businesses don’t want to work with a vendor, a self-hosted VPN is a great alternative as it allows businesses to have greater configuration control over the VPN server, and IT admins can set tunneling protocols of their choice.