VPN vs. HTTPS: Securing Your Corporate Network

G5 Cyber Security

1 week ago

TL;DR

Both VPNs and modern HTTPS configurations (with DoH & ECH) improve corporate network security, but they work differently. VPNs encrypt all your internet traffic, creating a secure tunnel. HTTPS secures communication between your browser and websites. DoH (DNS over HTTPS) and ECH (Encrypted Client Hello) add extra privacy layers to HTTPS. For full protection, especially on public Wi-Fi or for remote workers, a VPN is generally recommended. However, strong HTTPS with DoH & ECH significantly improves security even without a VPN.

1. Understanding the Threats

Before comparing solutions, let’s look at what we’re trying to protect against:

Eavesdropping: Someone intercepting your data (e.g., on public Wi-Fi).
Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: An attacker inserting themselves between you and a website.
DNS Snooping: Your internet service provider (ISP) or others seeing which websites you visit.

2. VPNs: The Full Tunnel

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) creates an encrypted connection between your device and a VPN server. All your internet traffic is routed through this tunnel.

How it works: Your data is scrambled before leaving your computer, making it unreadable to anyone intercepting it.
Benefits:
- Protects all applications and network activity.
- Hides your IP address.
- Useful on untrusted networks (public Wi-Fi).
Drawbacks:
- Can slow down internet speed.
- Requires trusting the VPN provider with your data.
- Configuration and management overhead.
Example Configuration (OpenVPN): You’ll typically use a client application provided by your VPN service.
```
# Example OpenVPN configuration file snippet
```

3. HTTPS: Securing Web Browsing

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) encrypts communication between your browser and the website you’re visiting.

How it works: Uses SSL/TLS certificates to verify the website’s identity and encrypt data.
Benefits:
- Protects sensitive information like passwords and credit card details.
- Widely supported and automatically enabled on most websites (look for the padlock icon in your browser).
Drawbacks:
- Only protects traffic to HTTPS-enabled websites.
- Doesn’t hide your IP address or protect other applications.
- Vulnerable to DNS snooping without additional measures.

4. DoH & ECH: Enhancing HTTPS Security

DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and Encrypted Client Hello (ECH) improve the privacy of your HTTPS connections.

DNS over HTTPS (DoH): Encrypts DNS queries, preventing eavesdropping on which websites you visit.
- How it works: Sends DNS requests to a secure DoH server instead of your ISP’s default server.
- Configuration: Can be configured in your browser settings (e.g., Firefox, Chrome). Many operating systems now support system-wide DoH.
```
# Example Chrome setting for DoH
```
Encrypted Client Hello (ECH): Encrypts the initial part of the HTTPS connection process, hiding the website you’re connecting to from observers.
- How it works: Prevents attackers from seeing which websites you’re trying to reach during the connection handshake.
- Configuration: Requires server support and browser compatibility (becoming more widely available).

5. VPN vs. HTTPS + DoH + ECH: A Comparison

Here’s a table summarizing the key differences:

6. Recommendations for Corporate Networks

Remote Workers: A VPN is highly recommended for remote workers connecting from untrusted networks (e.g., coffee shops, hotels).
Office Network: For internal network access, a VPN or secure tunnel solution is essential.
General Web Browsing: Implement HTTPS everywhere and enable DoH in browsers to improve privacy. Encourage the use of browsers supporting ECH as it becomes more widespread.
Layered Security: Use both a VPN and strong HTTPS configurations for maximum protection.