I'm working with a client in the advertising industry who needs to install SonicWall VPN software to connect to their provider's infrastructure for daily file downloads. However, the provider is quite low-tech and refuses to use modern solutions like SharePoint or OneDrive. Given that this is a lucrative contract, I want to make it work, but I'm concerned about the risks involved in this setup. I'm looking for suggestions on how to manage this safely.
5 Answers
Automating the file retrieval on a separate machine sounds like a great idea. If the client is against it, ensure you thoroughly document everything, so the responsibility for risks is clear.
At my workplace, we connect to specific customer VPNs through a managed service. We use Fortinet while they use OpenVPN with a bastion setup. Since they're paying us, our management insists we make it work, even if it slows us down.
One approach is to borrow a client device and isolate it on a guest network. This way, there's no external VPN access on our company devices, and you can handle the client's work directly on their machine. It keeps things cleaner and minimizes risk.
I usually set up a virtual machine (VM) on my computer for connecting to client VPNs. Just add the Hyper-V feature and create a Windows VM where you can install the VPN. This way, you can download files and then transfer them securely. It keeps your main environment safer!
I follow the same approach. When my users had to connect via VPN, I set up a VM in Hyper-V specifically for that purpose.
If it's a profitable contract, it might be better not to resist the VPN requirement too much. Instead, consider using a dedicated VM or a machine that exclusively handles VPN connections for that vendor. This keeps your main work environment free from potential issues and allows for better monitoring and reduced risk.
As a consultant rather than a sysadmin, I've done this too. I use VMware Workstation to create a base snapshot of a Windows VM and then clone it for each client needing VPN access. It makes cleanup super easy because I can just delete the clone when I'm done.