VPNs are rapidly becoming an integral part of cybersecurity, and that means more and more customers are starting to adopt the technology for everyday use. This has made it possible for companies to work on innovating their services, leading to the invention of multiple trends.
9 Trends That Will Define the VPN Market in the 2020s
VPNs are becoming more popular, leading to multiple innovations in the space. The following information and technology will likely define the VPN market over the next decade.
1. VPNs are More Popular With Individual Users
Although VPNs are associated with business use, they’re actually much more popular with individual consumers. This is because VPNs have a reputation for being less secure than personal servers, which is often the case unless employees are trained to use them well.
As businesses move away from VPNs, providers are more likely to market their VPN products to individuals. This will mean their services will more so favor the B2C market over B2B.
2. Increased Integration with Cloud Platforms
VPN services are beginning to build tools and interfaces to sync with cloud platforms, making them much easier to use for businesses that utilize such platforms effectively. When a VPN is on the cloud rather than a private server, customers can use the service anywhere at any time.
Not only that, but VPN cloud integrations allow businesses to securely access systems without any hardware or maintenance fees. These features are important for up-and-coming startups.
3. Artificial Intelligence-Assisted Cybersecurity
AI can be used virtually across a range of applications, including automating certain VPN cybersecurity processes. These processes include monitoring logs for security threats, running malware scans, and identifying malicious actors seeking unauthorized access to networks.
As North America is expected to gain a significant share in the global AI governance market in the 2020s, you can expect that VPNs will continue to add more automatic security features.
4. IPsec VPNs Becoming More Popular
VPN technology has become more powerful over time, and this fact becomes more clear when you compare IPsec VPNs to SSL VPNs. Navigating IPsec and SSL VPN differences can seem complicated, but to sum it up, IPsec VPNs are more secure because they encrypt all traffic.
On the other hand, SSL only secures traffic from the web browser to the web server only. For this reason alone, IPsec will replace SSL VPNs and continue to stay trendy for a long while.
5. Greater Scalability (With the Cloud)
Adaptive architectures allow users to scale their usage up or down based on need or demand without compromising performance or reliability of service delivery. Thanks to the rapid growth of cloud computing, users can change their VPN subscriptions without needing a bigger server.
Not only is this feature perfect for businesses, but it’s also great for individuals who want to add friends or family members to their accounts. Scalability will continue to be popular in the 2020s.
6. Security as a Service (SECaaS)
Security as a service (SECaaS) is already a popular model that offers highly secure end-to-end encryption services from one unified platform. Organizations that take advantage of SECaaS systems are able to maintain external communication through changing VPN configurations.
This is made possible because another provider takes care of the security portion of their business for them. This trend will likely stay popular as it’s more cost-effective for startups.
7. Use of Next-generation Geopositioning
Advanced geolocation looks past simple IP address recognition to identify the physical location of a user. This complex system provides businesses with greater flexibility in setting parameters for different management policies and controls across numerous regional areas and countries.
VPNs are able to take advantage of GPS III satellites, which are more accurate than the previous batch. These new satellites are expected to be operational until at least 2043.
8. Open-Source VPN Software for Businesses
Many providers are beginning to develop open-source VPNs that are designed to be supported by the community that uses them. That means that when someone finds a way to improve the software, these updates are shared by everyone. Most open-source VPNs are free to use.
While open-source VPNs are harder to set up, especially for tech newbies, they’re more customizable. Businesses should hire a programmer if they want to work with this software.
9. Greater Transparency on Technical Matters
As more and more applications are falling victim to cyberattacks, many VPN providers are starting to increase transparency around the technical aspects of their products. This allows customers to make informed decisions regarding the types of VPNs they choose to use.
On top of that, many companies are releasing more educational material that discusses their proposed updates and security protocols. Transparency seems like a trend that’s here to stay.
