For years, remote access meant a VPN: staff connect to a gateway at the office, and from there they can reach everything on the network. It works, but it has weaknesses that attackers now target constantly.
The problem with the old model
- An open door to the internet. The VPN gateway has to accept connections from anywhere, and VPN appliances are among the most attacked devices online.
- Too much access. Once connected, a user, or an attacker with their password, can usually reach every system in the office.
- Slow and fragile. All traffic hairpins through one box at the office.
How Tailscale is different
- No open ports. Devices connect directly to each other over encrypted WireGuard links. Nothing at the office waits for connections from the internet.
- Your existing sign-in. Staff log in with Microsoft 365 or Google, with multi-factor authentication.
- Access per person. The receptionist reaches the booking system; the bookkeeper reaches the accounting server. Nobody gets everything by default.
- Instant offboarding. Disable someone's account and their access ends everywhere.
We set up Tailscale for offices of every size, usually in a day. See secure remote access.