Perimeter 81 is often considered one of the best VPNs for businesses. With great enterprise-level functions, integrations, gateways, and a seamless interface, it can keep a company’s data hidden effortlessly. In this Perimeter 81 review, we’ll talk about why this cloud-based VPN is the best for business.
It’s no ordinary software and offers much more than just a basic VPN solution. We’ll look at the full features, pricing, and applications of Perimeter 81 in this review. It will help you understand why this project can improve the security of your business.
Using just any VPN does not help businesses thrive
It’s true, that a VPN is one of the best security and entertainment software programs today, but when it comes down to business, just a regular premium VPN will not do the trick. However, if your business only comprises 10 to 15 people, and all you’re looking for is basic security or access to geo-restricted content, then maybe a provider like Surfshark fits right in.
The entire business infrastructure of today is evolving with time. You’ll notice a heavy rise in the mobile workforce and cloud transformation. In fact, the rise in COVID cases since the pandemic took place, has pushed every employee into their own homes.
With that insight, the network you once knew can no longer be relied on. Most premium VPNs we’ve discussed on topVPNservice are great and still have a lot to offer in terms of security and online privacy, but they’re not going to be enough for an enterprise-level business. Most businesses around the globe have already started shifting to more cloud-based alternatives like Azure, Google Cloud, and Amazon Web Services.
Even though this is the current state of the modern-day workforce, most employees, despite the new changes introduced, are not completely aware of how to maintain online security. In fact, we could say that there are no seminars that could spread awareness. This lack of awareness and lack of protection for SaaS and cloud-based networks are some of the main reasons that lead to data breaches and other online threats.
There was even a major Capital One data breach scandal that took place back in 2019, where one Amazon employee managed to steal credit card data, along with 80K bank account numbers, and 140K Social Security numbers.
About Perimeter 81
Similar to the issues mentioned above that are constantly on the rise, it’s crucial for every business to make use of the best business VPN in the market, and that’s where Perimeter 81 comes into play.
For those of you who are new to the business VPN world, Perimeter 81, as most users describe it, is a Zero Trust Secure Network that stretches far beyond just a regular VPN service.
This unique software is created to secure your network, make it simpler to use, and also create secure access to a cloud-based network and all application access that comes under it. It’s the best addition to your business needs, especially if the workforce is scattered in different locations and from anywhere in the world.
We’ve mentioned countlessly since the start of this Perimeter 81 review that this business VPN is far more different in comparison to a regular one.
It integrates the Zero Trust and Software-Defined Perimeter models, secures your cloud-based network, and offers seamless integration with cloud providers. With Perimeter 81, businesses can secure the entire workforce, the network, and everything within one platform.
How do you use Perimeter 81 as a business VPN?
When talking about a business VPN, it allows all employees to connect to a remote network that you create for your business. With this, you can create multiple networks and gateways within your company to segregate regional teams.
As mentioned above, Perimeter 81 is a zero-trust network architecture. This means your company admin creates a network and gateway, all employees are then invited and added through the Perimeter 81 app.
When all the employees join in, the administrator can then see every user connected to the network, the device, the location, and the resources it can access. Plus, the IT admin can allow/disallow access within the network. This is especially the case when one employee resigns or has been laid off.
When you add employees to Perimeter 81, you will be able to segregate them into groups. Let’s say you have a team of designers; grouping those designers and defining that group’s rules will restrict resources to them.
A VPN does not give you this kind of control or so much ease. Another example: you can create a network for a team in the USA, and subdivide it by city by creating a gateway and a tunnel. The members of this branch of the office can connect to each other, while other branches use their own VPN tunnels and credentials.
It can spoof your IP address by allowing you to connect to a cloud server, where it acts as a gateway to the internet. You can still access the internet while connected to this network, but it will act as a proxy. So effectively, your public IP address gets spoofed.
With Perimeter 81, internet security will be taken seriously. During our testing, we removed one user from the panel, and the connection to the Perimeter 81 app immediately dropped.
What to expect from the Perimeter 81 modern-day business solution?
Here’s what you can expect from the Perimeter 81 business VPN:
· Get a more unified Cloud Management Platform with Perimeter 81
With a unified cloud management platform, your business IT team can take care of particular employee sectors, handle network and permissions, and go through the entire workforce network activity.
To add to this, the user interface is simple to use, with the option of a built-in single sign-on integration, mobile support, and two-factor authentication for extra security and protection.
· Perimeter offers Zero Trust Agentless Application Access
Sometimes accessing various applications is not safe, especially when connected to your company’s network. That’s why we suggest a business VPN like Perimeter 81 that structures multiple layers of user trust and device trust policy validation.
This works in a way to first authorize employees, identify them, and then allow them easy access to applications in sessions that are fully scrutinized, audited, and monitored so that nothing goes wrong. This is one great way to highlight extra security for how employees use the internet, what applications they use, and more.
· Great Cross-Platform Applications and User-friendly interface
Just like every great VPN, a business VPN too needs to be user-friendly, easy to install, and offer access to multiple platforms. When we tested Perimeter 81, we noted that its installation process was quite simple (if you know what you’re doing), and we were able to install it on mobile and laptop devices.
To add to it, this business solution allows employees single-click access to any local network or cloud-based network! What we love is that it doesn’t matter where you’re located, all employees on the same network, whether segregated or not, get an equally unified security experience.
· The Multi-Tenant Cloud
With Perimeter 81, you will be able to position and assign multiple networks based on different permissions. It won’t be completely divided, though. Each of the networks created can be interconnected via a centrally located office. It can also be interconnected through native firewalls to cloud services (like Google Cloud, AWS, Azure, and other SaaS services) through its IP whitelisting feature.
The Perimeter 81 built-in features – Taking security and privacy a step up
The main highlight of this Perimeter 81 review is its security and privacy features. Some premium VPNs offer the best security and encryption that makes their software unique; Perimeter 81 takes it a step further!
This provider takes its security very seriously, as seen throughout its performance. It offers cutting-edge in-built features that are not like a regular VPN, mostly to protect your company and all its contents. These features include:
- Great user management
- Posture Check
- Always On VPN
- Dedicated servers and IPs
- Connection to cloud-based apps like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud
- Allows access to business apps securely
- Automatic Wi-Fi security
- User and device monitoring
- Integration with apps
- Two-Factor Authentication
- Split-Tunneling
- DNS filtering (blocking malicious websites, restricting access to some websites, filtering unwanted content using the company and personal devices)
- FWaaS (Firewall as a Service)
Below, we’ve discussed some of the more important features in a little more detail.
Great user management
Perimeter 81 usually tops the list for the best business VPN for a lot of reasons. After running some tests, we will definitely call it the number one business VPN solution, especially considering its great user management system.
This management system is the main focus to make sure all users or employees are granted separate permissions and passwords. With it, the admin can block or give access to what websites, apps, or domains can be accessed, and more. You’re given the liberty to block domains or the kind of content your employees meddle in.
Its ease of use is beyond perfect. Since Perimeter 81 is mainly a cloud-based solution, it makes it easy to add or remove employees from its access. To add members to the network, you just have to send an invite via their email.
As mentioned, since everything can be controlled, it makes it easier for the admin to create separate settings to separate users. Here are some of the tasks the admin can access and set according to different sectors of employees:
- Turn on the Two-Factor Authentication
- They can activate the Always-On VPN feature
- Initiate automatic updates
- Remove public and private VPN servers
- Set up protocols for different operating systems by default
- Change around the user passwords
- Enable the Kill Switch
Device Posture Check
Device Posture Check (DCP) is a great feature to add to a business VPN solution, and Perimeter 81 does justice to it. With this feature, your admin can easily make sure that employees connect to the company’s network with devices that are secure – or rather, selectively allow connection.
Another pro about this VPN is that Perimeter 81 allows you to take the reins as far as making these decisions. The person in control will be able to set the bar for what device is secure, what makes it secure, whether or not the devices are added to use a particular grade of encryption, or what antivirus software it has on it. Plus, you can even create segregation between the different devices by assigning separate profiles.
Always On VPN
As mentioned on the website, “Always On VPN” is a part of Microsoft’s technology for Windows 10. These clients replace direct access, offering secure and remote access for all employee clients. Once the connection to the VPN is established and authorized, the VPN connection will be in “Always On Mode.” Other than this, the Always On VPN offers much more to look into regarding its functionality.
Dedicated servers and IPs
With Perimeter 81 introducing the perk of dedicated servers and IP addresses, this allows all of your employees with access, to connect to the company’s internal network. No one else without access to these dedicated servers will be allowed to or able to access them. This gives every company a fighting chance to protect all valuable data from external parties.
This feature is particularly great during the work-from-home error. We know that most cybercriminals attack home networks, knowing that it comes with a lack of protection.
Integration with apps
This feature only works if you’re subscribed to the Perimeter 81 enterprise plan. Through this feature, employees will be able to connect to certain apps or third-party services only if permitted by the admin itself or the person in control.
Automatic Wi-Fi Security
Perimeter 81’s Wi-Fi security allows you to create a secure and immediate connection to the internet with the highest levels of encryption. This is another great feature for remote workers for whenever they connect to unsecured or public Wi-Fi hotspots. It will directly route their connection through the Perimeter 81 secure-access servers.
User and device monitoring
To ensure the smooth operation of your company’s business and all that its employees do online, Perimeter 81 has a monitor and logs tab, where the admin can scrutinize the kind of devices used, and all the user activities. The activity log gives you access to a full glimpse of all that is being accessed within and outside the workspace while connected to this business VPN.
Two-factor Authentication
Did I not mention that Perimeter 81 sets the bar high for great user management? It’s seen through its two-factor authentication feature. Your company will be able to smoothly secure your entire network and data by adding a double layer of protection.
This lowers the levels of possible and future attacks from infiltrating your system, network, and data using built-in SMS or multi-factor authentication (2FA & MFA). The 2FA feature is the best for those apps that don’t offer extra security features.
Split-Tunneling
The Split-Tunneling feature allows you to select particular or specific network subnets to go through from your client to the Perimeter 81 network. This means that instead of going through the full Perimeter 81 encrypted tunnel mode, you’re allowed to manually choose which subnets you’d like to pass through the tunnel. It’s a lot like a regular VPN split-tunneling feature, but better.
FWaaS (Firewall as a Service)
As most firewalls aren’t as secure, Perimeter 81 allows you to break away from the traditional with its FWaaS feature. FWaaS comes into play when one IT department fails to strengthen the overall flaws or holes in security. With this Perimeter 81 feature, organizations can bring higher levels of security to their cloud-based network and all the resources that come with it.
Perimeter 81 app
Take a look at the images below to get a full glimpse of the app, ranging from its VPN protocols to other general settings that you can toggle. We first have its general settings that you can enable and toggle on your own. It ranges from starting the app when you switch your device on, to allowing a crash report and more.
There are the options of Always-On VPN, Automatic Wi-Fi security, and Trusted Wi-Fi networks in the Network settings, all of which are discussed above.
You can toggle the VPN protocols depending on what you need the business VPN for. Some of the protocols are:
- WireGuard
- OpenVPN
- IKEv2
- Or automatic
How much does Perimeter cost?
There are currently four plans that Perimeter 81 offers, divided between its monthly and yearly plans:
Monthly plans
| Essentials | $10 per user/mo. | +$50/mo. per gateway | Min 5 users |
| Premium | $15 per user/mo. | +$50/mo. per gateway | Min 10 users |
| Premium Plus | $20 per user/mo. | +$50/mo. per gateway | Min 20 users |
| Enterprise | Not fixed | Not fixed | Min 50 users |
Yearly plans
| Essentials | $8 per user/mo. | +$40/mo. per gateway | Min 5 users |
| Premium | $12 per user/mo. | +$40/mo. per gateway | Min 10 users |
| Premium Plus | $16 per user/mo. | +$40/mo. per gateway | Min 20 users |
| Enterprise | Not fixed | Not fixed | Min 50 users |
For the Enterprise plan, the prices are a little different. For that, you’ll have to contact support and discuss it.
Conclusion
Do we recommend Perimeter 81? It’s one of the best business VPN services on the market right now! We say this after testing and evaluating the provider’s performance. The Perimeter 81 app even offers a support panel, that you can use. It offers a live chat, user guides, and diagnosis issues. You can contact the support at the time of set up.
Other than this, you could always get a full demo of Perimeter 81 with one of their Network Security Specialists by filling out the form.
