A VPN Does Much More Than Keeping Out Hackers

 Cybercrime is a serious threat, and right now, it’s one that you should defeinitely be aware of. As the world faces a global pandemic, most people are staying at home, and so, they rely on being online to carry on with their daily lives. That not only goes for working remotely, but also for playing games as well as for watching box sets online and even to catch up with the rest of their families via Zoom. Overall, we spend so much time online that hackers have more opportunities than ever before to target us. That’s when having a VPN really comes in handy.

Hackers try to attack you personally or your company, which is why it’s essential to make sure you’re protected. The stats don’t lie:

• Malicious hackers attack computers and networks at a rate of one attack every 39 seconds.
• In 2020, 82.3% of US companies were compromised by at least one successful attack.
• In 2019, the cost of US ransomware attacks topped $7.5 billion.
• There were over 200 million ransomware attacks in 2020.
• 1 in 5 Americans have been a victim of ransomware.
• There was a rise of cryptojacking methods in North America by 252%.
• 82% of people using cloud services have experienced security compromises.
• The most valuable information to cybercriminals is customer information, followed by financial information.
• Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks rose by 50% in 2020.

We’re not trying to scare you, but the facts do speak for themselves. Cybercrime is growing all the time, and as more people head online, it’s vital to be on guard. A VPN will protect you and provide lots more benefits, making it incredibly good value.

At its core, a VPN (a Virtual Private Network) helps to disguise your online identity whenever you’re connecting to the internet. When you connect to a different network, your original IP address will remain hidden from all internet traffic, effectively making you anonymous when you’re online. This is the most effective way to keep your personal information secure, especially as it’s one of the most sought-after elements for hackers. Backed by stringent security measures, the VPN server you connect to will help keep you safe. Hackers will not be able to identify your digital location, so they won’t be able to get hold of your personal or financial information.

Setting up on a VPN is simple to do too. For example, if you use a respected VPN resource such as cyberghostvpn.com, all it takes is a simple download to get it on whichever device you choose – PC, Mac, Linux, or a variety of Android or Apple devices.  Once set up, it only takes a simple click or tap within the navigation menu to select a server, and then head online, safe in the knowledge that all your details are kept secure.

[caption id="attachment_46356" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Image Source: bestvpnreport.com[/caption]

Fast speeds are also another huge benefit of a VPN. It’s a common myth that VPNs can cause slower speeds; there are concerns that connecting to a server in another country can limit bandwidth. But that’s not the case, as the servers on VPNs have been proven to have seriously fast speeds, which is what you want when you’re using the internet.

Unblock geo-restricted content and enjoy more from your content providers. Big streaming services are known only to give you access to the content in your region. By selecting a different region via the VPN, you’ll unlock a load more for you to stream.  This also works when you’re away from home. Select a VPN from the US and you’ll have access to your favorite shows that would otherwise be blocked.

When using a VPN, you can also browse in privacy and avoid the prying eyes of companies that are trying to track you and the monitoring of law enforcement agencies and your internet service provider (ISP).

With a VPN activated, you won’t have any websites blocked as you’ll be able to bypass them with your new unique IP address. This is also an efficient way to stop your ISP from monitoring your internet traffic and imposing any restrictions, such as reducing your broadband speed. As they’ll be clueless as to where your internet traffic is originating from, you can browse the web for what you want, always at fast speeds.

Peace of mind isn’t something you usually get when you’re online. Whether it’s concerns about companies sharing your data (we’re looking at you WhatsApp and Facebook) or hackers getting hold of your personal information or installing ransomware, it’s not always safe when you’re online. But by taking simple steps to protect yourself, you can actually get peace of mind and enjoy yourself the next time you go online.