Microsoft Recommends ‘Always On VPN’ As It Deprecates Windows DirectAccess

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Microsoft alerts organizations, particularly those using remote access features on their networks, to migrate to the ‘Always-On VPN’ feature as the tech giant deprecates the Windows DirectAccess solution.

Microsoft Deprecates Windows DirectAccess, Confirming Feature Removal In the Future

According to a recent announcement, Microsoft plans for Windows DirectAccess removal in future releases as it deprecates the feature starting this month.

Windows DirectAccess has long been a remote access solution widely used in organizations for securing remote access to the company networks. It facilitated direct secure connections, ditching the conventional procedure of connecting and disconnecting VPNs. Hence, a remote client could connect to the organization’s network without requiring a VPN, simultaneously allowing easy access to the IT admins to their systems.

However, Microsoft observed some limitations with DirectAccess, which modern VPN connections address better.

As highlighted, the ‘Always-On VPN’ functionality allows more secure connections without requiring recurrent connections/disconnections with Windows VPNs. Moreover, it offers better support for contemporary VPN protocols and empowers IT admins to choose which apps use the VPN connection. Besides, Always-On VPN works equally well for domain-joined and non-domain-joined users, unlike DirectAccess, which only works with the former.

Considering these strengths of the DirectAccess successor, Microsoft now recommends all users migrate to the Always-on VPN while the tech giant deprecates DirectAccess. The firm urges organizations to complete this migration at the earliest to avoid possible downtimes and connection issues in the future.

Though Always-On VPN isn’t a new feature, it remained in use in tandem with the widely used DirectAccess. Therefore, Microsoft has decided on a gradual phase-out of this feature, sharing a detailed guideline for migration to Always-On VPN as the firm goes ahead with DirectAccess depreciation.

In future releases, Microsoft plans to completely remove this feature, leaving the Always-On VPN as the prime technology for securing remote network connections.

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