Identity + devices + access boundaries
Secure Remote Access & VPN for Michigan businesses.
Secure remote access should connect the right user and device to the resources needed for work. CTS helps businesses evaluate VPN and other access approaches alongside identity, device management and the applications being reached.
The business question
Give people the access their work requires.
An encrypted connection answers only part of the access question. The business still needs to decide who can connect, what they can reach and how access is reviewed or removed.
A contractor needs one application.
That requirement is different from broad network access. Start with the resource and authorized work, then design the connection and permissions around it.
Explore the decision
Design access around the work.
Choose who needs access and what they need to reach. Explore the boundary that follows.
Change the inputs below. The explanation updates here, without leaving the page.
Illustrative planning exercise, not an assessment, live monitoring or a product configuration. No input is sent or stored. Service capabilities and decisions are agreed with your team.
Define the service
What the relationship needs to cover.
The useful scope connects the technical capability with the people and operating work around it.
Users and devices
Define eligible users, authentication and device requirements.
Resources and permissions
Identify the applications and systems each group actually needs.
Ongoing management
Discuss updates, logging, support, access reviews and employee departures.
From discussion to operation
Make the next step explicit.
Start with the current environment, define the responsibility and agree on how the work will be reviewed.
- 01
Map the work
Understand where users work, which applications they use and current access problems.
- 02
Choose the access model
Evaluate the appropriate approach and the operational dependencies.
- 03
Manage the lifecycle
Maintain the controls and review how access changes with the business.
VPN, application access and SASE are related options rather than interchangeable products. Supported features and access boundaries depend on the agreed design.
Questions before you decide
Understand what you are buying.
These distinctions help make the service conversation more useful.
Is a VPN always the right choice?
No. Evaluate the applications, users, devices and network dependencies before choosing an approach.
Does encryption make remote access secure by itself?
No. Authentication, permissions, maintenance and monitoring remain important.
Can we review an existing deployment?
Yes. Discuss the current platform, business requirements and the problems or decisions that prompted the review.
Part of the wider environment
Connect the responsibilities.
This service works alongside other parts of your IT and security operating model.
Useful reading
Keep exploring the question.
Related CTS articles offer background and practical perspectives.
Are SSL VPNs Still Secure? Why Businesses Are Moving Beyond Them
Read more about the operating decisions behind this service.
Read the articleThe Microsoft 365 Tenant Is the New Server Room
Read more about the operating decisions behind this service.
Read the articleStart with your environment
Talk through secure remote access & vpn with CTS.
Tell us what is changing, what concerns you and how the responsibility is handled today. We will help you identify a useful next step.