# Do we need a VPN for remote work?

Only if staff need to reach systems inside your office network. If everything people use is a cloud service, such as e-mail, files and accounting, a VPN adds little: protect those services with multi-factor authentication and managed laptops instead. If there is a file server, an accounting database or a machine in the office that people need from home, then yes: use a VPN or a remote-access gateway rather than opening those services to the internet, and require multi-factor authentication for it. A consumer VPN app that hides your browsing is a different product and does not protect company systems. Whichever you choose, give each person access only to what they need. NetSenX does not provide a VPN. Behind your VPN gateway, a sensor on a SPAN or TAP port sees what remote devices do on the internal network and flags scanning, lateral movement and beaconing, on every plan.

FAQ: [Remote work and exposed services](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/remote) · https://netsenx.com/en/faq/do-we-need-a-vpn-for-remote-work

## Read next

- https://netsenx.com/en/is-someone-inside-your-network
- https://netsenx.com/en/encrypted-traffic-analysis

## Related questions

- [Is a VPN protected only by a password enough?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/is-a-vpn-without-multi-factor-authentication-enough)
- [Why are unpatched VPN gateways such a risk?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/why-are-unpatched-vpn-gateways-a-risk)
- [What is split tunnelling on a VPN, and is it a risk?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/what-is-split-tunnelling-and-is-it-a-risk)
- [Where should a sensor sit to see what VPN users do?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/where-should-a-sensor-sit-to-see-vpn-users-traffic)
- [How do I detect a VPN account used from two countries at the same time?](https://netsenx.com/en/faq/how-to-detect-a-vpn-account-used-from-two-countries)