Splashtop VPN

Owenmpk wrote:

I have been using VPN for years at my office and at clients and over all very happy with it. I have client that wants one employee use their personal computer to connect to the office.

This is a bit confusing.

You are using VPN for years, but than you are against VPN?

Probably you meant Lan-2-Lan VPN vs. Client-2-Lan VPN?

Well, there is actually no big difference in the 'security' / protection from malware. Even on a Lan-2-Lan VPN you don't know, what kind of protective tools are used on the remote network - if any.

However, you can pretty much limit the allowed ports on any kind of VPN connection. When you don't allow SMB file sharing and enforce SFTP instead, you are already protected against most of the self-spreading malware out there.

In addition, many vendors offer some kind of advanced malware protection enforcement for VPN clients. In this case, a client wouldn't be able to connect, if he has not installed and enabled some kind of endpoint protection or AV software. In such a case, this client would be even a safer one, than any of the Lan-2-Lan connected ones.

Connecting individual client computers via VPN is today something completely normal. For sure, there is some risk attached to it, but it's not a completely uncontrollable risk.

I'm not seeing a lot on here about using Splashtop on a low powered laptop to access a users workstation. Obviously VPN is preferred, but could this be an alternative for departments like marketing that need more horsepower? Or just as a "throw money at the problem" solution? Management has also tossed the idea of Splashtop for employee owned laptops [if they choose to]. Is this as bad an idea as I think it is? I'm in a fortunate position that management generally does listen to me, so I want to make sure I'm doing this right.

Greetings,

I have two machines, my Windows 7 PC and my tablet. Currently I am able to use Splashtop remote desktop over my wifi, but I would like to be able to use Splashtop anywhere, by setting up a home VPN.

What would the best solution be?

I've looked at OpenVPN, it's quite confusing.

The streamer service for Splashtop runs on the PC I am setting up the server on, would I need to setup an OpenVPN client on the PC as well?

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Delighting and Protecting Our Customers: Thoughts From Mark

On March 19, 2021, computer giant Acer reported that it had been hit with a record-breaking ransomware demand of $50 million. While the ransom amount was staggering, the mere fact of a company being hit by ransomware has become common news these days.

Companies large and small have been victims of ransomware, in which cybercriminals use malicious software to prevent a company from accessing its data, computers, or network unless they pay a hefty ransom fee.

As the CEO of a remote access and remote support solution provider, I’m especially aware of regularly reported ties among virtual private networks [VPNs], Remote Desktop Protocol [RDP], and ransomware. The top exploits used by ransomware gangs are VPN bugs, but RDP still reigns supreme: As outlined in a ZDNet article, reports from Coveware, Emsisoft, and Recorded Future “clearly put RDP as the most popular intrusion vector and the source of most ransomware incidents in 2020.”

Source: Coveware

Concerns about ransomware have grown during the COVID-19 pandemic, with so many employees working from home. Global accounting firm KPMG reported evidence that “remote working increases the risk of a successful ransomware attack significantly… due to a combination of weaker controls on home IT and a higher likelihood of users clicking on COVID-19 themed ransomware lure emails given levels of anxiety.”

In June 2020 the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning about a rise in ransomware targeting businesses relying on RDP and VPN for remote access.

Fortunately for Splashtop customers, Splashtop is designed with a zero trust security framework in mind, the latest industry-standard approach that means trust nothing and verify everything. We believe that zero trust can help stem the tide of ransomware attacks.

How Splashtop Helps Prevent Ransomware

While cyber threats are evolving every day, here are some of the ways that Splashtop products help reduce ransomware:

• Automate security updates and patches. Today’s VPNs and RDPs all require manual patching, and because VPNs are running 24/7, IT professionals and MSPs are less likely to keep them updated. All it takes is a moment of inattention for a hacker to exploit a vulnerability. Splashtop automates updates for all our end points and cloud infrastructure.
• Support device authentication. Unlike most VPNs, which are rarely configured to support device authentication, Splashtop is automatically configured to authenticate any new device trying to establish a remote access session. IT teams can also prevent remote access users from adding new devices.
• Enforce multi-factor authentication [MFA] and Single Sign-On [SSO]. Identity verification is a core part of the zero trust framework, and Splashtop supports MFA as well as SSO. Our Splashtop Enterprise product offers SSO/SAML [security assertion markup language] integration with Active Directory [AD], Active Directory Federation Services [ADFS], Okta, and other directory services. Through directory services, IT/MSPs can also enforce password policies such as password strength and password rotation.
• Provide session recordings and session logs. Splashtop offers extensive session logs and recording features. As desired, Splashtop Enterprise also integrates with Security Information and Event Management [SIEM] for centralized logging.
• Offer endpoint security. Splashtop partners with Bitdefender and Webroot to offer enhanced endpoint security capabilities for customers who want an extra layer of protection.

Ever since the pandemic began, many business turned to VPN and RDP to enable remote work, exposing their businesses to expanding cyber threats. In recent years, Gartner and many security experts have recommended that businesses move away from network-level VPN access and instead move toward application-level, identity-based remote access solutions that embrace a zero trust framework.

Splashtop’s cloud-first, cloud-native secure remote access solution has been designed to support the post-COVID work-from-anywhere era.

Splashtop continually monitors the latest cyber threats, and we are committed to investing millions to ensure our customers are well protected against them. Recently, we have formed a Security Advisory Council and launched a Security Bulletin to help IT pros and MSPs stay on top of latest vulnerabilities.

Find out more about Splashtop remote access security practices. And let’s keep working on ways to make ransomware as rare as possible.

Looking for an alternative to VPN?

Splashtop is easy to deploy, scale, and the most cost-effective remote access solution. That’s why Splashtop is the best alternative to VPN.

Start a Splashtop Business Access Free Trial!

Learn more about Splashtop as a VPN alternative

VPN is likely not the best choice for your organization’s remote access needs

As working from home is becoming the new reality for many, a robust remote access solution is crucial for productivity. VPN is best suited for users who need to access the corporate network for short durations to complete specific tasks, but it is an outdated solution for today’s productivity demands.

When entire workforces stay connected via VPN all day long, there is backhauling of traffic, even for tasks that don’t need VPN, resulting in unreliable connections and slow performance, a user’s worst nightmare.

Spending a large amount of money and effort to set up, scale, and maintain a VPN, not to mention the headache of having to use only company-issued devices to connect to the VPN, is a lot of trouble to go through when the end result is subpar performance.

With an overloaded VPN, it is impossible to inspect network traffic effectively, so security issues arise. Even solutions like split tunneling, that were meant to help by limiting VPN traffic, open new doors to security risks.

Thankfully, there is a simple solution. Splashtop is the best VPN alternative, allowing employees to access their work stations securely, with speed and stability.

Splashtop is the modern solution for enabling remote computer access

Splashtop’s easy setup, management, and scalability ensure fast and reliable remote access sessions with effortless maintenance and a low cost. All the users have to do is install a small app on their workstations. From there, they are able to remote in instantly from any device using the Splashtop app.

A complete remote access solution without the strain on your corporate network

The corporate network is only used during remote access, resulting in less traffic and higher performance, while security and compliance features allow for worry-free remote connections. Users can securely transfer files, print remotely, and complete any other task during remote sessions, all of which are recorded and logged. Finally, Splashtop’s apps and infrastructure are updated, secured, and monitored automatically, eliminating inconvenient manual updates.

Get started with Splashtop for free

Using Splashtop, you will get higher performance, better security, and easier scalability than VPN-based solutions for your remote access needs, at a fraction of the cost! Try Splashtop for free today, and experience the difference yourself.

Learn more about Splashtop as a VPN alternative

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Created by Nityasha Wadalkar