What is the best way to design a VPN for a remote workforce?

2 Configure the VPN server

The VPN server is the central point of your VPN network, where the remote devices connect and access your company's resources. You have two main options for setting up a VPN server: hosted VPN service and self-hosted VPN server. A hosted service is a third-party provider that offers VPN servers in different locations and regions, and is a convenient and easy option. However, it may not offer the same level of control, customization, and security as a self-hosted server. Self-hosting requires more technical skills, resources, and cost, but may provide more flexibility, performance, and security. The best option for your remote workforce depends on your objectives; you should consider factors such as scalability, availability, maintenance, and support when making your decision.

3 Implement security measures

The VPN network is only as secure as the weakest link, so it's essential to implement security measures to protect your VPN connection and data. Encryption is the process of converting the data into an unreadable format that can only be decrypted by the authorized parties, so you should use a strong encryption algorithm and key length, like AES-256. Authentication is the process of verifying the identity and credentials of the VPN users and devices, so you should use a robust authentication method, such as certificates, tokens, or multi-factor authentication. A firewall is a device or software that filters and blocks incoming and outgoing network traffic based on pre-defined rules; you should use one to restrict VPN access to specific ports, protocols, IP addresses, and domains. An antivirus is a software that detects and removes viruses, malware, and other threats from devices and networks; you should use one to scan and clean the VPN devices and server. These security measures will help prevent malicious attacks, intrusions, infections, and data breaches.

4 Optimize the VPN performance

The VPN performance is affected by various factors, such as the bandwidth, latency, congestion, and distance of the network. A poor VPN performance can result in slow speed, high latency, packet loss, and connection drops, which can frustrate and hinder your remote workers. To optimize the VPN performance, you should consider the following best practices and tips: choosing the closest VPN server to your remote workers, reducing the VPN load by limiting the number of simultaneous connections or upgrading your VPN server capacity, and adjusting the VPN settings to suit your network conditions and requirements. This could involve changing the VPN protocol, encryption or compression.

5 Monitor and troubleshoot the VPN network

The VPN network is not a static system, but a constantly changing and complex one that requires ongoing monitoring and troubleshooting. To do this, you should use tools such as VPN logs to analyze and audit the network, VPN tests to evaluate and optimize it, and VPN support to get help with setup, use, and troubleshooting. VPN logs are records of events and activities such as connections, errors, warnings, and traffic. VPN tests involve checks and measurements of performance and functionality such as speed, latency, bandwidth, and DNS. Lastly, VPN support provides assistance from the provider or expert to report and fix problems or bugs.