VPNs are vital to many organizations, and it is essential to account for Android gadgets when enabling this expertise for cell finish customers.
Cellular threats are a priority for each iOS and Android gadgets. Even when IT fastidiously manages these points, knowledge safety dangers can come up when customers join remotely to a company’s community assets. To defend distant communications, many organizations implement cell VPNs. Nonetheless, due to OS variations, IT should alter its strategy primarily based on whether or not it plans to help iPhones, Android telephones or each.
A VPN needs to be carried out as half of a bigger, multilayered safety technique with help from a dependable enterprise mobility administration (EMM) or MDM platform. Above all, IT groups should weigh a number of elements and vet high suppliers when planning and implementing their VPN initiatives.
What elements form an Android VPN initiative?
Many organizations now use VPNs to help their Android customers, in addition to customers on different platforms, similar to Home windows, macOS and iOS. The next elements ought to information IT’s course of when establishing a VPN that helps Android gadgets in some capability.
Kind of implementation
Organizations should select between cloud-based and on-premises VPN programs. Cloud providers are typically simpler to implement, handle and scale than on-premises deployments. Nonetheless, they do not supply the identical stage of management and suppleness as an on-premises VPN. Nonetheless, an on-premises deployment could be a giant endeavor and funding, which could not be viable for smaller organizations. IT decision-makers must also contemplate whether or not they want a platform that helps each site-to-site VPN and distant entry.
Safety and compliance
For many organizations, safety and compliance are high priorities — therefore the necessity to deploy a VPN within the first place. An efficient VPN can encrypt site visitors, anonymize IP addresses and securely combine with the native community. IT must also search for instruments that present granular entry controls and help safety features, similar to single sign-on (SSO) and multifactor authentication (MFA).
Organizations ought to be capable to implement a VPN with out compromising UX.
Efficiency and availability
Organizations ought to be capable to implement a VPN with out compromising UX. Though a VPN can have an effect on efficiency and availability to a point, its impact needs to be minimal. Selecting strategic places for VPN servers can decrease latency and maximize availability. The VPN platform must also be capable to scale as essential to accommodate fluctuating workloads and evolving enterprise necessities.
Supported customers and gadgets
When IT groups plan their VPN deployments, they need to know what number of VPN customers they should help. Likewise, contemplate what OS platforms and machine sorts — aside from Android telephones — may entry the VPN. IT must also know whether or not the gadgets are corporate-owned and absolutely managed or a part of a BYOD program.
VPN consumer implementation
A VPN deployment ought to account for the amount of customers connecting to the VPN servers. Though Android gadgets embody a built-in VPN consumer, not all VPN platforms use that consumer and as an alternative present their very own. This is likely to be as a result of the VPN platform makes use of protocols that the built-in consumer does not help or as a result of a third-party consumer may make it simpler to handle the VPN service by way of an EMM platform. One other essential choice to make is whether or not the Android gadgets ought to use per-app VPN or always-on VPN.
Deployment and administration
IT ought to be capable to deploy the VPN platform and supply VPN providers with minimal overhead and delays. Select a platform that gives IT directors with central administration capabilities and full visibility into the system and its customers. Moreover, be sure that it could combine seamlessly with current infrastructure and instruments, together with the group’s EMM platform. IT may must improve sure system or infrastructure parts to accommodate the VPN platform.
Preliminary and long-term prices
Organizations should have a look at a number of particulars to calculate complete value of possession (TCO) for a VPN. Elements embody ongoing subscription or licensing charges and the prices of IT personnel to deploy and preserve VPN operations. Within the case of on-premises deployments, TCO ought to mirror the prices of {hardware} as nicely. Organizations must also absolutely perceive the extent of tech help accessible to them after committing to a platform.
Search for VPN instruments that provide free trials in order that admins can higher consider the product. Nonetheless, be cautious of free VPN providers. These choices are likely to have restricted options and infrequently pose their very own safety and privateness dangers.
Common Android VPN choices for the enterprise
VPN merchandise can differ considerably, so IT ought to look at the completely different sorts of choices which might be fashionable as we speak. The next listing exhibits just a few examples of cell VPN instruments suitable with Android ecosystems, chosen primarily based on trade analysis. This listing will not be ranked and as an alternative seems in alphabetical order.
Cisco Safe Consumer
Previously Cisco AnyConnect, Safe Consumer presents a extra complete suite of VPN providers. Options embody utility monitoring, higher community visibility, risk and roaming safety, zero-trust entry controls and integration with different Cisco choices. That integration makes Safe Consumer possibility for organizations which might be already dedicated to the Cisco ecosystem and the seller’s server platforms.
ExpressVPN
ExpressVPN is a cloud-based VPN platform with servers in over 100 international locations. Every VPN server runs its personal personal DNS and runs totally in reminiscence, with no server knowledge written to disk. ExpressVPN doesn’t log site visitors knowledge or DNS queries and makes use of Superior Encryption Normal-256 to guard knowledge.
Together with Android, the platform helps a variety of machine sorts, together with Home windows, macOS, Linux and iOS. A person can join as much as eight gadgets without delay. The platform additionally offers superior options, similar to break up tunneling, tracker blocking, kill-switch capabilities and IP handle masking.
NordLayer
One other cloud-based possibility is NordLayer. Along with VPN providers, the platform offers superior safety in opposition to network-based threats. Relying on the service plan, NordLayer consists of options similar to break up tunneling, devoted IP addresses, IP allowlisting, DNS filtering, MFA, SSO and always-on VPN. The platform guarantees server efficiency of as much as 1 Gbps and offers shared gateways in over 30 international locations.
NordLayer offers VPN purchasers for Android, Home windows, macOS, Linux and iOS. The platform additionally presents browser extensions that can be utilized with digital personal gateways to offer VPN providers on unsupported machine sorts.
Proton VPN
Like many VPN platforms, Proton VPN is obtainable for each customers and enterprise clients. Proton VPN for Enterprise presents enterprise plans for organizations of various sizes. The platform offers servers with speeds as much as 10 Gbps in over 110 international locations. It is accessible for Android, iOS, Home windows, macOS, Linux and different platforms.
Proton VPN has a strict no-logs coverage and presents a number of superior options, together with DNS leak safety, kill-switch capabilities, router help, break up tunneling and devoted IP addresses. The service additionally permits clients to configure personal gateways and deploy them immediately.
7 steps to deploy a cell VPN for Android telephones
VPN implementation is completely different for each group. IT’s strategy should match the group’s particular wants and the instruments it plans to make use of. The final course of will be damaged down into seven steps, from figuring out VPN necessities to sustaining the service.
1. Determine VPN necessities
Decide the variety of customers, their geographic places, the required stage of safety and whether or not the endpoints are corporate-owned or BYOD. Moreover, make choices concerning all of the essential elements associated to VPN entry, and establish the mobility instruments IT makes use of. If there are particular VPN protocol necessities, notice these as nicely.
2. Select a VPN platform
Choose a cloud-based or on-premises VPN that works with Android telephones and another machine sorts the group plans to help. Ensure the platform is versatile sufficient to deal with present and future wants. To be long-term funding, it should be capable to adapt and scale to new expertise and company necessities. The platform must also help the required protocols and supply sturdy safety and compliance capabilities.
3. Put together the VPN setting
After selecting a platform, IT can put together the VPN — and the setting it’s going to function inside — for implementation. For instance, admins may must configure safety settings and entry insurance policies, in addition to hyperlink the platform to inside programs, similar to Energetic Listing. Preparation is way more concerned for organizations implementing an on-premises device. This may require IT to buy {hardware}, configure VPN servers, put together the community and take different steps to make sure a seamless deployment.
4. Configure EMM settings and profiles
If a company depends on an EMM platform to handle its Android telephones and different gadgets, IT may discover it useful to make use of that platform to arrange cell VPN providers. For this, admins should configure the VPN machine settings inside the cell administration platform. In addition they should create machine VPN profiles that specify the connection particulars, similar to server addresses or authentication info. The precise course of relies on the platform, nevertheless.
5. Put together consumer gadgets and customers
Use the cell administration platform to push the VPN profiles to the Android telephones and different machine sorts. If the VPN platform offers a consumer app for the gadgets, IT may be capable to use the EMM platform to distribute the app. If that is not an possibility, have customers obtain the app from the Google Play Retailer or one other web site. Give them directions on the right way to work with the VPN app on their gadgets and connect with the VPN service as nicely.
6. Take a look at VPN connectivity
Ensure customers can reliably connect with the VPN service from their gadgets. This could contain checking connectivity on quite a lot of machine sorts. Given the complexity of layered safety within the enterprise, it isn’t unusual for one layer to battle with one other. Customers ought to be capable to entry the community assets they want shortly and effectively with out experiencing delays or disruptions in providers.
7. Monitor and preserve the VPN
A VPN implementation is an ongoing effort that requires fixed monitoring and fine-tuning. To make sure optimum service supply and knowledge safety, admins must maintain software program patched and updated. They need to additionally carry out routine safety audits and repeatedly monitor their programs for safety threats and compliance points.
IT must also monitor the VPN platform for service points that may have an effect on UX. When customers report poor efficiency or connectivity points, frequent causes embody the next:
Community congestion.
Inadequate bandwidth.
Elevated latency because of server distances.
Conflicting safety and entry settings
Misconfigured {hardware} or software program.
There are a number of VPN challenges IT groups needs to be able to deal with after deployment. Outdoors of day-to-day operations, admins may also should reassess bigger technique choices over time. For instance, some organizations may run into issues as a result of the VPN platform can’t scale adequately to fulfill new necessities or fluctuating calls for.
Robert Sheldon is a contract expertise author. He has written quite a few books, articles and coaching supplies on a variety of subjects, together with huge knowledge, generative AI, 5D reminiscence crystals, the darkish net and the eleventh dimension.
