One of many prime challenges dealing with enterprise homeowners is making certain safe distant connections to firm networks and assets to remain protected from information breaches. In a latest IBM report, the common price of an information breach in 2024 was estimated at $4.88 million — which IBM says is the very best whole ever recorded. With this, it isn’t a shock that deploying enterprise-level digital non-public community options has grow to be a prime precedence for a lot of companies.
Enterprise VPN options present a safe gateway for companies to attach their staff to their company networks. Security measures corresponding to multi-factor authentication, disabling break up tunneling, implementing a most connection-time window after which staff should re-authenticate, and mandating advanced, rotating passwords are a number of examples of how enterprise VPNs enhance and bolster safety.
Given the wide selection of VPNs in the marketplace, here’s a roundup of the highest enterprise VPN options.
ESET PROTECT Superior
Workers per Firm Measurement
Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Massive (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)
Any Firm Measurement
Any Firm Measurement
Options
Superior Risk Protection, Full Disk Encryption , Trendy Endpoint Safety, and extra
ManageEngine Log360
Workers per Firm Measurement
Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Massive (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)
Micro (0-49 Workers), Medium (250-999 Workers), Enterprise (5,000+ Workers), Massive (1,000-4,999 Workers), Small (50-249 Workers)
Micro, Medium, Enterprise, Massive, Small
Options
Exercise Monitoring, Blacklisting, Dashboard, and extra
Graylog
Workers per Firm Measurement
Micro (0-49), Small (50-249), Medium (250-999), Massive (1,000-4,999), Enterprise (5,000+)
Medium (250-999 Workers), Enterprise (5,000+ Workers), Massive (1,000-4,999 Workers)
Medium, Enterprise, Massive
Options
Exercise Monitoring, Dashboard, Notifications
Prime enterprise VPN options comparability
The desk beneath highlights a number of the key options of enterprise VPN options and the way they examine with each other.
Cisco AnyConnect: Finest total
Cisco AnyConnect is my greatest total choose for its wide selection of safety capabilities, high quality buyer assist, and user-friendly expertise. It makes use of multi-factor authentication and establishes a 24-hour utilization window, after which a person’s connection drops and they’re required to log in once more.
SEE: Can a VPN Be Hacked? (TechRepublic)
A spotlight for me is the way it performs a system test on authentication to find out whether or not a workstation meets sure necessities, like anti-malware software program or company area membership, earlier than it permits entry to the corporate community. This ensures solely company-managed techniques are allowed on the VPN. I additionally like how AnyConnect can block entry to untrusted servers, show safety merchandise put in, and run diagnostics to collect data for evaluation and troubleshooting. It disables break up tunneling, that means when a person is related to the VPN, they will solely entry company assets and nothing on a neighborhood residence community or the web.
Why I selected Cisco AnyConnect
I picked Cisco AnyConnect for its user-friendly set up course of and intuitive interface. I additionally discover nice worth in its suite of security measures, corresponding to system test and server blocking, that make it a powerful choice amongst different enterprise VPN options with extra restricted capabilities. Per my analysis, it additionally will get glowing evaluations from customers by way of its stability and total reliability.
Pricing
- Contact the seller for pricing particulars.
Options
- Permits entry to the enterprise community, from any system, at any time, in any location.
- Supplies visibility and perception into endpoint conduct.
- Gives multi-factor authentication.
- Gives always-on assist.
Professionals and cons
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| It’s straightforward to obtain and set up. | There is no such thing as a free trial. |
| It may be used on a number of units. | Lacks kill change functionality. |
| Supplies nice buyer assist. |
Checkpoint Safe Distant Entry: Finest for web-based shopper assist
For high quality internet shopper assist, I like to recommend Checkpoint Safe Distant Entry VPN. It might create {custom} set up packages pre-configured with the goal IP tackle(es) for shoppers to authenticate to. Like AnyConnect, it’s secured by multi-factor authentication (on this case, both laborious tokens or mushy tokens, which function as an app on cell units).
SEE: How A lot Does a VPN Price? + Financial savings Suggestions (TechRepublic)
I personally like how break up tunneling is disabled in Checkpoint Safe Distant Entry, identical to Cisco AnyConnect. This implies, for hackers to get to the shoppers, they must configure the corporate proxy server settings, which solely allow entry to public-facing web websites for enterprise use (social media websites have been blocked, for example). Group memberships decide who can join the place. Checkpoint firewalls function the administration interface for each the VPN and the firewall settings.
I additionally need to point out that Checkpoint Website-to-Website VPNs are in a position to hyperlink two distant areas collectively — permitting site visitors to achieve networks on both facet.
Why I selected Checkpoint Safe Distant Entry
I’ve Checkpoint Safe Distant Entry VPN on this record for its spectacular SSL VPN portal that enables community entry by an online browser. Having safe entry to a company community is a significant value-add that many staff and employers will discover helpful, particularly these working in a hybrid setup. I additionally really feel it makes workflows extra environment friendly, since staff can entry necessary assets with out having to put in a full-fledged VPN shopper on their units.
Pricing
- Contact the seller for pricing particulars.
Options
- The VPN affords a central administration platform.
- IPsec and SSL VPN assist.
- Safe hotspot registration.
- It affords VPN auto-connect.
- Multi-factor authentication assist.
Professionals and cons
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| SSL assist supplies web-based entry with out the necessity to set up a VPN shopper. | It doesn’t assist risk prevention on iOS, Android, and Linux customers. |
| Compliance scanning assist. | Incident evaluation is simply accessible for Home windows customers. |
| Runs on a number of units, together with Home windows, Mac, and mobiles. | |
| Gives risk prevention functionality. |
NordLayer: Finest for brand new enterprise VPN customers
For companies transitioning to an enterprise VPN resolution, I like to recommend NordLayer. It’s a robust distant entry resolution that allows companies to safe their distant staff and defend firm assets on the identical time. If it sounds acquainted, it’s as a result of it’s from the identical firm that created the favored client VPN — NordVPN.
Like NordVPN, I like how NordLayer affords an intensive suite of security measures with out sacrificing ease of use. A few of its options embrace good distant entry, At all times On VPN, Customized DNS, and DNS filtering by class. One large benefit I discovered with NordLayer is its transparency with pricing, offering estimated costs relying in your wants or subscription of selection. To me, that is an underrated characteristic that’s good for potential enterprise VPN customers.
Why I selected NordLayer
I selected NordLayer for its robust emphasis on ease of deployment, set up, and scalability — which is good for companies that need to begin utilizing an enterprise VPN. This enables NordLayer to accommodate most, if not all, enterprise sizes with out a lot headache. I additionally like that it affords its personal proprietary NordLynx protocol, based mostly on WireGuard, that’s constructed for each velocity and safety.
Pricing
NordLayer has a month-to-month and a yearly choice for its 4 subscription tiers. Beneath is a fast rundown of its annual pricing.
- Lite: $8 per person, per 30 days; 5 customers minimal; important web entry safety with primary web risk prevention.
- Core: $11 per person, per 30 days; 5 customers minimal; superior entry safety, and primary community entry management.
- Premium: $14 per person, per 30 days; 5 customers minimal; community entry management options with granular community segmentation.
- Enterprise: $7 per person, per 30 days; 50 customers minimal; custom-fit community safety.
Options
- Gadget posture safety.
- MFA and SSO.
- At all times On VPN.
- Exercise monitoring stories.
Professionals and cons
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| Subscription tiers that cater to numerous enterprise sizes. | Pretty new to enterprise VPN house. |
| Extremely scalable. | |
| Publicly accessible pricing. |
SonicWall International VPN Consumer: Finest light-weight enterprise VPN
For companies on the lookout for a light-weight choice, I counsel SonicWall International VPN. It affords a quick and environment friendly product that gives RADIUS/certificates/Sensible Card/USB authentication. It comes with each 168-bit key 3DES (Information Encryption Normal) and AES (Superior Encryption) encryption requirements and VPN session reliability that redirects shoppers to different VPN gateways if issues happen. I significantly admire how SonicWall comes with particular subnet entry and command-line choices for set up, making it straightforward to deploy by automated software program mechanisms.
Why I selected SonicWall International VPN Consumer:
I chosen SonicWall International VPN to be on this record for its velocity and reliability. It has mixture of robust security measures, corresponding to AES encryption, an simply configurable interface, and a fast and dependable person expertise. SonicWall additionally has status for offering high quality buyer assist.
Pricing
- Contact the seller for pricing particulars.
Options
- It may be configured both as an IPsec or SSL end-point agent.
- Helps a number of platforms, together with Home windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Gives straightforward setup and configuration.
- Detailed logs and reporting for community directors.
Professionals and cons
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| Gives robust encryption and authentication to guard towards cyber threats. | There is no such thing as a free trial or demo. |
| It’s straightforward to obtain and configure. | No web-based model. |
| Suitable with a variety of platforms and units. | |
| Gives logs and reporting options to watch VPN utilization. |
Fortinet FortiClient: Finest for providing wider VPN safety choices
For companies trying to have flexibility by way of VPN safety choices, I like to recommend Fortinet FortiClient. It depends on certificates for integration and deployment and affords entry to internet filtering and a firewall. I additionally like how its Endpoint safety safety capabilities, which makes use of automated conduct evaluation, is included. Fortinet makes use of a “single pane of glass” strategy that gives one-stop-shopping to handle configuration, deployment, and administration, in addition to test shopper standing and interact in vulnerability scanning and patching.
I admire how Fortinet affords two various kinds of VPN options — IPSec and SSL — and might be built-in into a corporation’s total endpoint safety technique. This supplies a dependable VPN safety choice for firms which have staff working remotely.
Why I selected Fortinet FortiClient
I selected Fortinet FortiClient for its in depth protocol suite, making it a sensible choice when safety is a prime precedence. It additionally stood out for me resulting from its broad number of tunneling protocols which are customizable based mostly on safety wants. I additionally like that Fortinet permits potential customers to trial FortiClient to see if it matches their enterprise wants.
Pricing
- Contact the seller for pricing particulars.
Options
- Fortinet helps multi-factor authentication.
- Helps SSL or IPSec tunneling protocols.
- Gives malware safety and anti-exploit assist.
- Gives a number of tunneling protocols, together with Level-to-Level, Layer 2, and Safe Socket tunneling protocols.
Professionals and cons
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| There’s a free trial choice. | Integration with anti-virus and threat-detection instruments makes it a bit bit clunky. |
| Absolutely customizable authentication settings. |
Palo Alto GlobalProtect: Finest for implementing safety insurance policies
For enterprises that need a VPN with dependable safety coverage capabilities, I counsel trying into Palo Alto GlobalProtect. It affords related options to prior merchandise listed, corresponding to multi-factor authentication, excessive safety (cookie or certificate-based authentication are two robust options), internet filtering and risk safety. As well as, GlobalProtect depends on Zero Belief rules.
Personally, I commend GlobalProtect’s spectacular potential to determine what units are connecting to the VPN and whether or not they’re managed (company-owned or operated) or unmanaged (employee-owned), and offering entry accordingly (units deemed suspicious or unauthorized might be blocked completely). It might additionally decide certificates current on units, working system and patch ranges, anti-malware variations and standing, working software program, and whether or not disks are encrypted and information is being backed up by a product.
Why I selected Palo Alto GlobalProtect
I opted for Palo Alto GlobalProtect resulting from its trustworthiness and reliability in upholding its safety insurance policies and have guarantees to its shoppers. Belief and credibility are necessary tenets in high quality safety software program, and GlobalProtect has continued to keep up status for safeguarding company and person information. I additionally discover its robust software of zero belief safety rules as a significant benefit towards related rivals.
Pricing
- Contact the seller for pricing particulars.
Options
- Supplies least-privilege entry assist for distant staff.
- Helps multi-factor authentication.
- The software program helps risk prevention.
- Gives full visibility throughout all purposes, ports, and protocols.
Professionals and cons
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| There’s a demo choice to take a look at the product. | Deployment could also be troublesome for first-time customers. |
| Gives analytics and visibility for community site visitors, | |
| There’s an always-on, safe connection assist. |
ZScaler Personal Entry: Finest for zero belief community entry
In case you’re on the lookout for a ZTNA resolution, I like to recommend ZScaler Personal Entry. As a disclaimer, Zscaler is a special product from the earlier choices on this article. Relatively than being a standard end-user VPN shopper, it’s a cloud service that gives entry to purposes in cloud environments or on-premises techniques through a distributed structure. The twist right here is that the purposes hook up with approved customers through safe encryption reasonably than vice versa, so customers by no means truly entry the distant networks concerned.
It makes use of normal policy-based entry, relying on customers and purposes. For me, I like how ZScaler allows mergers and acquisitions to be facilitated simply as a result of lowered infrastructure setup occasions and lack of want for added networking gear.
Why I selected ZScaler Personal Entry
I’ve ZScaler Personal Entry on this record for its zero belief strategy that may present organizations peace-of-mind in an more and more hybrid workforce. Whereas it isn’t a VPN per se, I really feel its cloud service adopts most safety in defending company information and provides an extra layer of safety towards doable information breaches.
Pricing
- Contact the seller for pricing particulars.
Options
- A number of system assist.
- Supplies multi-factor authentication.
- AI-powered community segmentation.
- Helps various kinds of segmentations, together with user-to-app, user-to-device, and workload-to-workload segmentation.
Professionals and cons
| Professionals | Cons |
|---|---|
| There’s an choice for a demo. | It is just cloud-based. |
| Applies the rules of least privilege to present customers a safe connection. | |
| There’s safety compliance assist. |
Key options of enterprise VPN options
Enterprise VPNs have key options that separate them from the normal client VPNs. Beneath are a number of the differentiating elements.
Help for Safe VPN Protocol
Help for safe VPN protocols is a vital characteristic of enterprise VPNs. These protocols are designed to make sure the confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of information transmitted between distant customers and the company community. Enterprise VPNs sometimes assist a number of safe protocols, corresponding to OpenVPN, IPSec, and SSL/TLS, to offer a wide range of choices for connecting to the community securely. The usage of safe VPN protocols assist defend delicate data from interception, eavesdropping, and different sorts of cyber threats.
SEE: The way to Run a Cybersecurity Threat Evaluation in 5 Steps (TechRepublic Premium)
DNS Leak Safety assist
DNS leaks can compromise the safety of enterprise networks by exposing staff’ on-line actions and probably permitting unauthorized entry to delicate firm information. Enterprise VPN options want strong, built-in DNS leak safety mechanisms to make sure that all DNS queries are routed by the encrypted VPN tunnel and never leaked exterior.
Centralized administration assist
A centralized administration system permits directors to shortly and simply configure VPN settings and insurance policies, monitor VPN site visitors and utilization, and troubleshoot community points. With a centralized administration community, admins may also implement insurance policies — corresponding to entry controls and information retention insurance policies, throughout the complete VPN community — making certain that each one customers adjust to firm safety insurance policies and trade laws.
Excessive availability
Excessive availability is one other essential characteristic of enterprise VPNs. Having an enterprise VPN constantly and repeatedly function correctly is a vital characteristic to be careful for. Any downtime in an enterprise VPN’s efficiency can disrupt enterprise operations, stopping distant employees from accessing company assets and probably inflicting income losses.
How do I select one of the best VPN resolution for my enterprise?
Earlier than choosing any VPN software program for your online business, I like to recommend you are taking time to contemplate the next:
Contemplate your online business safety wants
First, take into account your safety wants and test in case your potential VPN resolution can meet these wants. As an illustration, in case your safety want goes past only a safe VPN connection to incorporate, let’s say, compliance assist, you need to go for a VPN resolution that provides each. Equally, you must also take into account the way you need to deploy your VPN software program. Would you like an answer providing solely a cloud-based or downloaded shopper? Your reply will mean you can choose one of the best VPN software program for your online business.
Contemplate safety capabilities
Whereas all VPN options supply related safety capabilities, some have extra security-focused options than others. Keep in mind that safety needs to be the highest precedence when selecting an enterprise VPN resolution. It’s best to go for options that present robust encryption, safe authentication, and different security measures to guard towards cyber threats.
Verify for compatibility
Compatibility is one other issue to contemplate earlier than choosing any enterprise VPN resolution. The VPN resolution needs to be appropriate with a variety of platforms and units, together with desktops, laptops, cell units, and completely different working techniques. This ensures that your staff’ units can simply hook up with the VPN with out spending cash on further units.
Contemplate price
Contemplate the price of the VPN resolution, together with any {hardware} or software program licenses, upkeep and assist charges, and another bills related to implementation and administration.
Methodology
Whereas there are a number of VPN companies on the market, not all supply options at an enterprise stage. To reach at this record of one of the best enterprise VPNs, I based mostly our choice on the next parameters: robust security measures, secure connection, multi-device and working system functionality, and buyer assist. Aside from utilizing a number of the options, I additionally checked out evaluations on Gartner to collect third-party opinions and person testimonials on a number of the VPN options.
From these features, I highlighted the principle differentiating characteristic that makes every particular enterprise VPN value testing.
This text was initially written by Scott Matteson and up to date by Franklin Okeke. The present model comprises further data and updates by Luis Millares.