how to whitelist ip for remote workers

How to Whitelist IP for Remote Workers Using a VPN

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PUREVPNIP AddressHow to Whitelist IP for Remote Workers Using a VPN

With more teams working remotely than ever, digital security has never been a bigger problem. Reports show that malware and phishing attempts have increased in an attempt to capitalize on more open network connections and fear than ever before.

For remote teams, this poses a problem. On the one hand, home WiFi security is notoriously lax. With company employees accessing internal servers and sensitive information regularly though, the question remains — is there a way for remote teams to access company servers securely?

In pursuit of improved cybersecurity, more companies are turning to VPNs with dedicated IP capabilities to ensure their team’s connections stay secure. Using a dedicated IP and a VPN, teams can access remote servers securely, and company servers can limit access to a whitelisted IP address.

What Is a VPN?

VPNs are digital security tools used to provide secure network access, regardless of where you are. Using a VPN, you can encrypt your data and access otherwise geo-restricted content.

Here’s how it works:

  1. To make things easy, download and install a VPN app on your device.
  2. Once installed, log in, and select a server location from the drop-down menu. Your VPN’s server location will dictate the kind of content that you’re able to see.
  3. Once you connect to the VPN server, your web traffic will be encrypted, and you’ll be given the IP address of the server you’re using.

In the event that you choose to use a dedicated IP VPN, you’ll be able to connect to your company’s server using the same IP address every time, all while ensuring that you maintain the absolute utmost security by leveraging the encrypted tunnel of a VPN connection. Furthermore, you’ll have no problem getting into IP-restricted connections because your dedicated VPN IP address will be whitelisted.

What Is IP Whitelisting?

When a company has a remote team, they can use a VPN for businesses to ensure their team’s data is not easily intercepted by a third party.

However, for an added layer of security, companies can also protect their sensitive information with the use of an IP whitelist.

IP whitelisting is the practice of designating specific IP addresses as approved for access to internal networks. If someone attempts to connect to your network, and their IP address isn’t on your whitelist, they won’t have access — plain and simple.

How to Create a Whitelist IP Address

How you create a whitelist IP address will depend on the network or platform you’re using. The instructions for each will vary, so we’ve consolidated a few below for you.

Creating a Salesforce Whitelist IP Address List

In Salesforce, you’re able to whitelist IP addresses for any profile or customize by whitelisting an IP address for a specific profile only. Here’s how you do it:

  1. In Salesforce, click Setup
  2. Using the search box, enter ‘Security Control’
  3. In the options that appear below, click on Network Access
  4. In the Trusted IP Ranges menu, click New
  5. Enter the start and end IP addresses for those you wish to whitelist, and click Save

Creating a WHM Whitelist IP Address List

  1. Login to WHM as Root
  2. In the search box, type ‘cPHulk Brute Force Protection’
  3. Click the link that comes up under Security Center
  4. Click on Whitelist Management
  5. Add the IP addresses that you want to whitelist, putting each on a different line
  6. Click Add to save your work

Creating a WordFence Whitelist IP Address List

  1. In your WordPress dashboard, hover over WordFence, and click on Firewall from the submenu
  2. Click on All Firewall Options
  3. On the next screen, input your IP addresses into the text box, and click on Save Changes

Creating a cPanel Whitelist IP Address List

  1. In your web hosting account, open cPanel from the Account Management Panel
  2. Using the search function, find File Manager
  3. Open the public_html, or root director from the menu on the left
  4. Right-click on the screen to get a drop-down menu, and select Edit
  5. In the next window, click Edit again
  6. At the end of the code on the next window, input the IP addresses where you see IP_ADDRESS_ONE to whitelist those IPs
  7. Any IP addresses you input into the code here will have admin panel access now

Creating an Office365 Whitelist IP Address List

  1. Log into your Office365 mail account, and access the mail server admin portal
  2. In the Admin control panel, click on Exchange
  3. Under the Protection menu, click on Connection Filter
  4. Click the pencil icon
  5. At the top of the screen, click on the plus icon
  6. Input your IP addresses, and click on OK

Creating a Gmail Whitelist IP Address List

  1. Go to admin.google.com to access your Google administrative dashboard
  2. Under Apps, go to GSuite
  3. Click on Gmail
  4. Click on Advanced Settings
  5. In the menu on the left, select the top-level organization
  6. Using the search box, search for ‘email whitelist’
  7. Input the IP addresses you want to whitelist, using a comma to separate multiple IP addresses
  8. Click Save

Creating an AWS Whitelist IP Address List

Whitelisting IP for AWS services is not as complicated as you think, just follow these steps:

  1. In the menu on the top right, select Services
  2. Under EC2, click on Security Groups
  3. Click on Create Security Group
  4. Under the Inbound tab, click on Add Rule
  5. Set the Type to All Traffic, and Source to Custom
  6. Add your whitelisted IP addresses to the text box, and click on Create
  7. From the EC2 dashboard, click on Running Instances and make your selection
  8. Under the Actions dropdown menu, choose Networking, and click on Change Security Groups
  9. Select the security group you just created, and click on Assign Security Group

Creating a WordPress Whitelist IP Address List

  1. Log in to your WordPress website using your FTP credentials, and select on your root or public_html folder
  2. Find the .htaccess file
  3. Go to the end where it says # END WordPress
  4. Paste the following code right above that line:

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>

RewriteEngine on

RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} ^(.*)?wp-admin$

RewriteCond %{REMOTE_ADDR} !^FIRST_IP_ADDRESS$

RewriteCond %{REMOTE_ADDR} !^SECOND_IP_ADDRESS $

RewriteRule ^(.*)$ - [R=403,L]

</IfModule>

5. Enter the IP addresses you want to whitelist in the sections marked in the code and save your changes

Creating a ModSecurity Whitelist IP Address List

  1. In your ModSecurity dashboard, select Settings
  2. Select Configuration
  3. In the Custom Directives field, add the following rule:

SecRule REMOTE_ADDR “@IPMatch 203.0.113.2,203.0.113.3” phase:1,log,allow,ctl:ruleEngine=Off,id:55666

Creating a SonicWall Whitelist IP Address List

  1. Log in to SonicWall and click on Manage
  2. Under Security Services, click Anti-Spam
  3. Click on Address Book
  4. Click on Allowed
  5. Click Add
  6. In the Select list type dropdown menu, select IPs
  7. Enter the IP addresses you want to whitelist, and click on Add

Creating a Cloudflare Whitelist IP Address List

  1. Log in to Cloudflare
  2. At the top of the screen, click on the Firewall icon
  3. Click on Tools
  4. Type in your IP address(es) on the next screen
  5. From the dropdown menu, select Whitelist
  6. Click on Add

How do I whitelist an IP address for Remote Desktop?

When whitelisting an IP address for Remote Desktop access, it is important to consider the security of the device or network being accessed. 

By allowing a specific IP address to access your device or network remotely, you are essentially granting that IP address full control over your system, and any malicious activity done by it could potentially be damaging. 

Therefore, it is necessary to properly secure the connection when whitelisting an IP address for Remote Desktop access.

What Are the Steps to Whitelist IP Addresses for Remote Desktop?

Step #1: Find the IP address of the Device 

To begin whitelisting an IP address for Remote Desktop access, you will first need to know the IP address of the computer accessing your device or network. Once you have that information, you can add it to your firewall rules to allow only that IP address. 

Step #2: Use the Windows Firewall 

If you are using Windows Firewall, this can be done by opening up Windows Firewall Settings and navigating to “Advanced Settings” to create an Inbound Rule with the appropriate settings.

Step #3: Test the connections

After creating the rule with the correct settings (for example, port 3389 is usually used for Remote Desktop connections), you must test it and ensure everything works correctly before enabling it on your production system. 

It is highly recommended that you do this on a testing system first so that it will only affect your live environment if something goes right during the process.

Step #4: Enable the Rule 

Once everything has been tested and verified as working correctly, you can enable the rule in your production system and start allowing remote desktop connections from the specified IP address. 

Remember, however, to always keep security at the top of your mind when doing this – ensure all necessary steps have been taken to keep unauthorized users from connecting remotely to your system!

What is IP Whitelisting for Remote Access?

IP whitelisting for remote access is an important security control measure that allows only specific IP addresses to access a device or network remotely. 

Why Whitelist IP Addresses? 

It is typically used to provide secure access to resources, such as servers, databases, or other systems, without allowing anyone else outside of the designated IP address range to gain access. This type of protection is particularly important in scenarios where sensitive information is being stored and accessed remotely.

When configuring IP whitelisting for remote access, administrators can specify one or more ranges of public-facing IP addresses that are allowed to connect to the protected system. Any attempts to connect from an IP address outside the selected range will be blocked from accessing the resource. 

It also allows administrators to create rules and policies that govern how each approved IP address can interact with the system – such as what commands they can execute and which ports they can access.

Overall, IP whitelisting for remote access is an important security measure that should always be used to keep malicious actors from gaining unauthorized access to sensitive resources. 

By properly securing your connections and using this authentication method, you can protect your systems from potential threats while ensuring legitimate connections are always allowed.

What is IP Whitelisting for Remote Access?

IP whitelisting for remote access is a security measure that allows only certain IP addresses to access a particular device or network. This technique can provide secure remote access to resources, such as servers, databases, or other systems, while preventing unauthorized connections from accessing these sensitive resources.

When configuring an IP whitelist, administrators define one or more ranges of public-facing IP addresses that are allowed to connect to the system. All attempts from IP addresses outside of the specified range will be blocked from connecting and gaining access. 

Rules and policies can be established which dictate what commands each approved IP address can execute and which ports they can access.

IP whitelisting effectively provides secure authentication while still allowing legitimate remote connections without any disruption. It ensures that malicious actors cannot gain unauthorized access to protected systems and provides peace of mind that all remote connections are authorized and properly secured.

How Do I Whitelist an IP Address in Windows?

When whitelisting an IP address in Windows, it is important to consider the security of the device or network accessed. To begin whitelisting an IP address for Remote Desktop access, you will first need to know the public-facing IP of the computer accessing your device or network. 

Once you have that information, you can open Windows Firewall Settings and navigate to “Advanced Settings” to create an Inbound Rule with the appropriate settings. This new rule should include the IP address and port number (port 3389 is typically used for Remote Desktop connections).

After creating the rule with the correct settings, it is recommended to test it on a testing system before enabling it in production. This allows any issues during setup to be addressed without affecting your live environment. 

Once everything has been tested and verified as working correctly, you can enable the rule in your production system and start allowing remote desktop connections from the specified IP address.

It is also important to note that allowing a specific IP address to access your device remotely does come with some risks. Since you are essentially granting this IP full control over your system, any malicious activities done by it could be damaging. 

Therefore, proper security measures must be taken when whitelisting an IP address—such as using strong passwords and two-factor authentication—to ensure a secure connection between devices.

How Do I Whitelist an IP address in Office 365?

Office 365 can be configured to allow only certain IP addresses to access data stored in the cloud. This is done through IP address whitelisting, allowing an administrator to control which public-facing IP addresses can access their system and data.

To whitelist an IP address in Office 365, a user must first identify the public-facing IP of the device they wish to connect from. Then they will need to log into the Office 365 Security and Compliance portal to add this IP address as a trusted source so that all connections from it will be allowed and any not on the whitelist will be blocked. 

Users can also add specific rules governing what commands each approved IP address can execute and which ports they can access.

When configuring an Office 365 whitelist, administrators need to remember that this authentication method does come with some risks. Since you are essentially granting a specific IP full control over your system, any malicious activities done by it could potentially be damaging. 

Therefore, proper security measures must be taken when using whitelisting—such as strong passwords and two-factor authentication—to ensure a secure connection between devices. 

Moreover, using multi-factor identification (MFA) whenever possible provides an extra layer of security and helps protect against unauthorized access or misuse of credentials.

Using IP Whitelisting for Secure Remote Access

IP address whitelisting is a powerful, simple way to ensure the security of remote network users. Use the steps in this guide to add an extra layer of security to your team’s remote work procedures, but note that you can ONLY do this with a VPN that allows dedicated IP addresses.

Learn more about using a dedicated IP address VPN — chat with PureVPN support to get started.

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