Beyond antivirus and other obvious solutions, you can adopt a VPN for securityVirtual Private Networks have a tremendous ability to evade espionage tacticsKnowing how a VPN works and how they can help us is essential
VPNs have become popular in recent years not only as a tool to stay safe from the systems that track our online activity, but also to avoid geographic restrictions on certain content. Obviously, many of us use virtual private networks on a daily basis for these reasons, but there are other reasons that we should consider. For example, How can a VPN protect users from external spying?
This doubt, which might seem unimportant, is nevertheless fundamental when we learn that 90% of Internet users in the United States have seen their PC infected in recent years with some spyware. Unfortunately, the vast majority of them have no idea how to get rid of these intruders.
In other words, we are in the presence of a real problem, which forces us to ask ourselves what programs can effectively protect our computer from external threats. And the answer is that a virtual private network will undoubtedly be an option that you should consider, especially for its cost/benefit ratio.
How does a VPN work and why might it be useful?
Before analyzing the cybersecurity potential of virtual private networks, it is necessary to understand how they work. We generally know that these programs encrypt our online activity, preventing the platforms that are there to collect data on what we do from knowing where we browse, what we download, etc..
This means that advertisers won’t know what your preferences are, which may result in seeing advertising that isn’t related to your interests, but it also ensures that no one will misuse your private information. But the most important thing is that hackers will not have enough data to draw conclusions about what we do, either, and that keeps us much safer.
VPN capabilities and limitations
We have seen that a VPN can protect a computer from espionage but, like other programs, Not all of these virtual private networks are the same. And that forces us to pay a little more attention.
The minimum that we should require from a VPN to trust it is that it does not record our online activity, that it does not negatively affect the speed at which we browse at home, that it has several world servers, that it is compatible with all operating systems, and that offers 24/7 customer service.
Clarified this, it is better to do without free virtual private networks, because they are not up to the task.
On the other hand, the policies of each VPN-type application define it, and there are some that warn that they are obliged by their very nature to share the data with government authorities. It is better to run away from them.
Also, remember that these are not antivirus, so they cannot replace them and thinking that they are going to replace them because they provide some protection features is a mistake that we cannot make.
In short, a VPN can protect against spying but we must be aware of its limitations.
How to use a VPN to protect us from espionage?
We think it’s already clear, but just in case we repeat it, virtual private networks are not unbeatable. They can protect us online from hackers, DDoS attacks and fake WiFi hotspots. Sadly, there is little they can do against threats like malware or phishing.
The attractive thing is that we can improve their performance as security tools by following these tricks:
Do not connect to overloaded servers: Not only will you have a worse browsing experience, but there may be blind spots from which users with the worst intentions begin to filter.Choose virtual private networks with split tunneling: This feature consists of encrypting all traffic that comes from very specific applications, while releasing less sensitive information.Never download files that seem suspicious or of unverifiable origin: It goes without saying that you should not create dangers where there are none, and for that you have to let the uncertain elements pass.
Have you adopted a VPN as part of your home or business security planning?
