With the proliferation of BYOD, or Bring Your Own Device, and the prevalence of guest Wi-Fi at many offices, it’s easier than ever to get online with your own personal laptop or some other device.
But, BYOD is a double-edged sword.
This system works wonders for companies that want to cut costs and improve productivity.
The employees can take their laptop home, catch up with work and always be available to their employers and the clients if necessary.
However, these devices are also more vulnerable to the ever-growing cyber threats which can endanger sensitive business information.
Another concern you might have at work is your online privacy.
Even though you're using your own device, how do you know that connection to the Internet is still not filtering your traffic?
Recording keystrokes and passwords?
Saving records of your browsing history?
All these are possible and completely realistic.
Now, let’s review what a VPN is and how it can help you avoid the above scenarios.
What Is VPN Used For?
A VPN is a virtual private network that works by encrypting the Internet traffic from and to your device.
When you first connect to the Internet by using guest Wi-Fi at you work, for example, it will pull down an IP address from the guest Wi-Fi router that is managed by your employer.
With your own personal VPN, you would then launch the client and have it authenticate you and assign your device a private IP address.
From this point forward, your browsing history, passwords, etc. are all encrypted.
Even if you're not particularly tech-savvy, you will quickly understand the advantages of using a VPN.
So, here are 5 reasons why using a VPN at work is a great idea.
1. Get Around Web Filtering Set Up By Your Company
Most medium to large-size companies use web filtering, which means they block their employees from accessing certain websites.
Gambling, pornography and anything deemed racist or offensive, which is completely understandable.
But some business owners take that further by also blocking YouTube, Facebook, or any website that can stream music or videos because it can put a big hit on local network bandwidth and decrease the employees' productivity.
Well, we all know that we can't be productive for eight hours straight, and we need a little break every now and then.
A private VPN will enable you to bypass that filtering completely, so you can now seamlessly surf away.
2. Hide Your Browsing Habits From Your Employer
Say your employer has a bit more liberal approach to their web filtering policies, and you can actually browse the Internet however you want.
There's no way your boss would monitor your web usage, right?
Think again.
Many companies don’t mind you checking your personal email, looking through memes, or whatever else you like to do on a break.
But, if you’re not careful, some keywords from your browsing history can raise red flags by firewalls and filters.
This could possibly result in an uncomfortable conversation with your manager or HR.
Why not play it safe and stay under the radar with your own personal VPN?
3. Safely Access Your Files Remotely
Many businesses are now operating remotely with employees from all parts of the world.
In this case, you may have an actual business need for having a VPN so that you can safely access your employer’s network no matter where you are.
And even if you don't work remotely, your business can benefit from a VPN in numerous ways.
Businesses that function like this usually have some safety systems in place to protect their sensitive data, and they may provide and manage the VPN client and configuration for you.
But, this all depends on their size and budget.
If you're working remotely, check with your employer about the possibility of using SwitchVPN for your remote access, and they may even reimburse you for the monthly cost.
4. Protect Your Privacy
Whether you're at home or at work, privacy is a universal right, and you should be able to protect it.
Despite the fact you are sitting in your office and maybe even using your company's resources, you should still be able to surf the web in anonymity.
There are many ways to protect your online privacy, VPN being one of the best tools to help you keep your web-surfing habits private.
But before you decide to install a VPN on your work computer, make sure you are aware of your company’s equipment use policies.
5. Take Advantage Of A Faster Internet
Lastly, let’s say your Internet connection speed at home is pretty slow.
It basically turns streaming and downloading torrents into a nightmare.
A VPN can help you take advantage of a faster Internet connection at your office.
You will be able to stream a podcast while working, maybe have an important game running in the background, and even download some torrents for later.
Just make sure to only download the content that you have legal rights to and check your employer's policies first because some countries may have particular laws regarding the downloading of torrents.
In Conclusion
As you can see, there are many reasons to use a personal VPN at work.
In fact, according to a recent survey by Wombat Security Technologies, 65% of working adults have recognized the advantages and are using a VPN on their home and work computers.
The best part is that online safety and privacy at work are just a few clicks away.
The solution is also very affordable and it can save you a lot of trouble.
Check out our rates here.
