Why Did I Get Locked Out for Using a Personal VPN?

Virtual private networks (VPNs) are great for accessing company files when working remotely or securing your connection if you have to use public Wi-Fi — though you should do everything you can to avoid public Wi-Fi.

Personal VPNs also allow you to disguise your IP address, making it appear you are connected to the internet from the location of the VPN server rather than your physical location.

While this is great for hiding your location, it opens security issues when accessing company data.

When you connect to your work accounts while using a personal VPN, it’s kind of like walking into the bank with a ski mask on. Wearing a ski mask at the bank doesn’t make you a bank robber, but it is awfully suspicious. And you probably wouldn’t blame the security guard for detaining you until it’s clear you are not a bank robber.

According to Huntress, a managed cybersecurity platform, 75% of confirmed malicious actions reported by Huntress come from a VPN.

In its official documentation, Huntress says, “VPN providers are frequently abused by threat actors at a high rate to compromise and facilitate attacks in Microsoft 365 environments.”

Here’s Why You Were Locked Out

If you are located in Grand Rapids but connected to a VPN in Japan trying to access your Microsoft 365 account, we can’t tell that it is you trying to access the account, only that someone “located” in Japan is trying to access your account.

As a security precaution, we will lock the account and contact you to ensure that it is you who is trying to access the account.

Until we can speak with you over the phone, your account will remain locked.

While we understand it can be frustrating being unable to access your account, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Managed Service Provider in West Michigan

Our advice is to avoid using personal VPNs when trying to access company data, either on your computer or smartphone.

If you have any questions regarding the use of personal VPNs, please contact us at support@hungerford.tech or call us at (616) 949-4020.

Did you like this blog? You can subscribe to our newsletter to receive a weekly email with our latest blog posts.