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Technology and the internet have revolutionized our modern world. With everything being interconnected, our daily lives have become much easier and more convenient. Technology has come so far that we hardly even need to leave our houses anymore. You can work remotely, have groceries delivered straight to your door, and you can even shop online. But with the world pressing forward at a rapid pace, many people overlook the dangers that come with this ease and convenience.
Cybercrime has developed significantly over the past few years and it’s become more and more difficult to evade the strategies that hackers use to launch their cyber attacks. One of the biggest threats to our devices is unsecured networks — most often found at public WiFi hotspots. These networks provide cheap and convenient access to the internet, but they also pose a serious threat to our devices.
You need to make sure that you keep your devices secure using some of the best cybersecurity tools on the market. If you’re often traveling or working remotely and need to use public WiFi hotspots to connect to the internet, you need to make sure that you’re using a virtual private network or VPN on your device. You can choose from any server, be it US server, etc. Without it, you’re an easy target for a skilled hacker looking to steal some of your most valuable data and information. Not sure what a VPN is and why you need one? Keep reading to find out.
The Rise in Cybercrime
The harsh reality is that cybercrime has been on the rise in recent years. Cybercriminals are using increasingly sophisticated tactics and strategies to exploit our digital devices and steal sensitive information. One particularly effective tactic is the use of public Wi-Fi hotspots to eavesdrop on unsuspecting victims.
Public Wi-Fi networks, such as those found in coffee shops, airports, and hotels, are often unsecured, making them easy targets for cybercriminals. These attackers can use a variety of methods to intercept and listen in on data sent and received over these networks. The most popular cyber attacks that hackers use on these unsecured networks are man-in-the-middle attacks and packet sniffing.
Man-in-the-middle attacks involve listening in on the communication between two parties, allowing the hacker to monitor and even steal the transmitted data. Packet sniffing involves using software to capture and analyze the data packets transmitted over a network.
Once a cybercriminal has gained access to a victim’s device or intercepted sensitive information using one of these strategies, they can use it for a variety of malicious purposes, including identity theft, financial fraud, or even selling the information on the dark web. You could even have your credit card information sold on the dark web to other dangerous criminals. So, you need to make sure that you’re always careful when using unsecured networks. Let’s explore the cybersecurity tool that will keep you safe.
The Best Cybersecurity Tool
The cybersecurity tool that you need to protect yourself is a virtual private network, also known as a VPN for short. At this point, you’re probably wondering: “what is a VPN?” It’s an essential cybersecurity tool that you need to have installed on your device to protect yourself on unsecured networks.
A VPN is a type of technology that creates a secure and encrypted connection over a less secure network, such as the ones you find at your local restaurant or hotel when traveling. Encrypting the connection allows users to access the internet securely and privately by creating a private network from a public internet connection. This also allows you to browse the internet anonymously without anyone seeing what you’re doing on your device or keeping track of your browsing history.
When you use a VPN, your device connects to a secure server situated in another country or city around the world. The VPN allows your device to access this server through an encrypted tunnel. All data passing through this tunnel is encrypted, making it difficult for anyone to intercept or eavesdrop on your internet traffic — which is why a VPN allows you to browse the internet anonymously.
In addition, connecting to a server also hides your device’s IP address. Since you’re connected to a different server, it will be replaced with the IP address of the VPN server, allowing you to spoof your device’s location. This is an additional security and privacy feature that comes with tons of other benefits such as bypassing geo-blocking and internet censorship.
As long as your VPN is connected your online privacy and security will be protected, as it prevents your internet service provider, the government, and even hackers from tracking your online activity or stealing sensitive information, such as login credentials, bank details, or personal data.
How to Find Excellent VPNs
The main goal of using a VPN is to keep your devices safe and secure. However, you can’t just use any VPN to keep your device secure when using an unsecured network. You need to make sure that you’re using the right VPN.
The most important rule to keep in mind when choosing a VPN is that you should always use a premium VPN as opposed to a free one. Free VPNs come with some serious drawbacks such as slower connection speeds, poor encryption technology, and a multitude of ads to name just a few. You won’t run into any of these problems if you’re using a premium VPN because they have a dedicated team of developers standing by and working hard to create the best possible product for their customers.
Remember, every VPN is uniquely built. That means some have faster connection speeds, some have more global servers to choose from, and others have bulletproof encryption technology. You need to make sure that you assess your own needs for the VPN before you make your final choice.
Always read thorough and credible reviews to find out what each VPN is strong at and what their weaknesses are. From there you will have some clear guidelines on which VPN you need to use on your device.
