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With a split tunneling feature, you may continue to use your VPN while selecting which websites and applications should be encrypted and which shouldn’t. It can provide you with extra security without sacrificing speed.
This type of setup can be configured to encrypt traffic involving certain apps, such as a bank app, work sign-in, or even a medical insurance provider’s portal.
Definition
You may choose which apps need VPN protection and which can access the internet without it using the VPN split tunnelling definition. The rest of your data is routed through the internet for quicker speeds while traffic from these programs travels through a secure tunnel.
This feature is excellent for people who want extra security for sensitive online activities such as banking or email correspondence but are happy to sacrifice some privacy on more mundane tasks like browsing or streaming content. It can also be helpful for those living abroad who want to bypass internet censorship and enjoy services that require their location or home IP address, such as search engines or social media.
VPN split tunneling can be a helpful tool for businesses with distant employees to increase worker productivity and security. However, it should be considered carefully as it introduces some risks that must be weighed against the benefits.
When VPN split tunneling is enabled, employees can route data directly to their home computers without going through the corporate network. If an employee is infected and transmits information to a malicious command and control system, their employer will not see this activity. It could be risky for a company that has strict remote work policies. It could also allow employees to bypass corporate network security measures and surf unsafe or blocked websites on company time.
Benefits
With the help of the whole function known as VPN Split Tunneling, you may send some of your internet traffic over a VPN tunnel while leaving other data open and unencrypted. This feature can be used for many reasons, from bypassing geo-blocked content to speeding up specific applications.
This technique is handy for remote access VPNs like those in a work-from-home setup. Using a VPN split tunnel, you can securely connect to your corporate network but use other sensitive apps and services that require a fast connection. It is conducive for things like streaming media, working with cloud storage apps, or even web services that require a local IP address for best results.
In addition, VPN split tunneling can help to reduce bandwidth usage on a VPN server. Since all of your internet traffic isn’t being forced to pass through the VPN, this can drastically reduce the load on a server.
Another benefit of split tunneling is that it can be used to help reduce the risk of accidental data leaks. If you often forget to keep your VPN switched on and find yourself browsing the internet without protection, this can leave your information vulnerable to hackers. By enabling split tunneling, you can ensure that any apps that contain sensitive information or passwords are connected through the VPN. At the same time, other data can go directly to the internet.
Limitations
As with all VPN services, VPN split tunneling has some limitations. First of all, it doesn’t encrypt all internet traffic. The apps and websites that bypass the tunnel are left unprotected so that they can send sensitive information over the open internet. The other limitation is that a VPN split tunnel slows down network speeds. It is because of the encryption process that needs to happen for all data that goes through the tunnel.
A newer version of the feature, called dynamic split tunneling (URL-based or app-based), is more imaginative and reduces this issue by encrypting only the data sent through specific channels. The rest of the data continues to flow over the open internet, so it doesn’t impact load times.
Some experts have cautioned against using VPN split tunneling in business, mainly when working on public or unsecured networks. They fear that employees are bypassing the company’s protections, which puts the network at greater risk for malware and security breaches.
Conclusions
Split tunneling is helpful for users who want to retain privacy on essential traffic, sacrificing internet speed. However, it isn’t a replacement for full tunneling. It’s important to know what you put at risk when using this feature, especially when working with sensitive data.
The biggest concern with VPN split tunneling is that if an application or device fails to connect through the tunnel, your traffic could leak outside. While this isn’t a massive concern at home, it can pose issues in the workplace. If an employee’s computer is compromised while connected to a VPN, their data and browsing history could be exposed, resulting in serious privacy risks.
This problem is compounded if employees use their devices to access company networks while working remotely. If a user connects to the VPN via their own devices and then uses a split tunneling policy, they bypass security measures that might be in place within the corporate network. These security measures might include gateway-level security like firewalls or web filtering. It could lead to malware being downloaded onto the device, exposing confidential information. It’s also possible that the employee could accidentally access a website blocked by their employer.
