Showing posts with label cybersecurity threats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cybersecurity threats. Show all posts

Friday 28 February 2020

Why you need a VPN Protection for Windows 10?



The internet has become a center for all kinds of activities from communication to financial transactions. The amount of data that flows over and is stored on the internet is enormous. This provides a host of opportunities for all kinds of elements both positive and negative. In recent years, cybersecurity has grown into one of the biggest threats these days with annual losses going above $5 trillion in 2019. This and other factors make it imperative to use a VPN.
So, let’s discuss what a VPN is, how it works and what are the reasons that they’ve become essential these days.

What is a VPN?

 A Virtual Private Network or VPN is a program which makes data traffic anonymous while masking user’s IP address. This is done by rerouting the internet traffic to go through a secure server instead of being handled by the local internet service provider (ISP). A VPN is one of the most effective tools to plug the biggest loophole in cybersecurity and that is the fact that IP addresses in general are public. This means that anyone on the internet can access them.

How does a VPN for Windows work?

A VPN acts as a barrier between the local ISP and the server of the website. ISPs have been given a free hand in regulating the internet ever since net neutrality ended in 2018. This allows them to store and even sell data on what users are doing on the internet because that matters to a lot of entities. With a VPN, the role of the ISP is minimized or even eliminated completely.

Common threats on the internet today

There is a wide range of threats on the internet these days. From businesses and organizations to cybercriminals, all prove a variable level of risk to users around the world. The type of breaches that are caused as a result include both financial losses and psychological distress. Although the challenges are evolving, there are some that are prevalent worldwide. Here are a few:

Malware

These include a wide variety of viruses. Hackers and other cybercriminals use a number of ways like email attachments or random links to plant malware into user systems. Malware can include but is not limited to ransomware, adware, Trojans, spyware, bots, bugs and a lot more besides. Based on the type, malware can hide in a device and harm personal data stored on it in any way that the attacker wants.

Phishing

Another one of the most common ways for hackers is to use phishing schemes. These can be executed through phone, text, email or any other digital medium. All it takes is for the cybercriminal to design a form or page that looks legitimate and asks the user for some private information. The hacker can act as a bank representative or government official to retrieve data that they are looking for.

Social engineering

This is one of the newest methods that are rising quickly around the globe. Hackers and other elements study a person that they want to target. They research about their colleagues, friends and even family members to pick someone who they can impersonate. All this information is easily available through social media so it is no problem for any element to get a hold of all this data.

DDoS

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) or Denial of Service (DoS) attacks are common to disable and cause damages to the servers of the victim. These types of attacks are common in gaming and for websites like e-commerce stores etc. The load of irrelevant data causes the server to crash taking the player or business off-line which ultimately cause huge damages to the organization or person.

How a VPN protects against cybersecurity threats

A VPN is a program designed to mask IP addresses. This means that the biggest source of all cybercrimes in dealt with. The level of protection available will depend on the type of VPN that you are using. There are a number of features that VPNs offer to make a comprehensive cybersecurity cover for users whether they are individuals or businesses. Here are a few:

Encryption

The leading VPN services like Ivacy provide an end-to-end 256-bit encryption at minimum because that is the highest level commercially available. It is used by government departments to protect their data so it is bound to be effective. Encryption protects data while it is being transferred from one server to another. This is the time when data is the most vulnerable so protecting it at this point is crucial.

Advanced protection

Good VPN services offer additional protocols for users. These can be added over the already available encryption to form military grade cybersecurity coverage for users.  VPN customers can pick what protocols they need to customize how they want their cybersecurity profiles to look. Each protocol has its own benefits.

Servers

The basic function of a VPN is to mask IP addresses. This is done through rerouting data traffic to the secure servers of the program. These servers have to offer elaborate protection against cybercriminals and also they have to be spread out across the world. They should also be abundant because that will determine the options available for users. The reliability of the servers offered by a VPN can easily be gauged by customer reviews.

Additional features 

Other features that are provided by a VPN for Windows include internet kill switches, split tunneling, public Wi-Fi security, unlimited bandwidth, a strict zero logging policy, secure DNS, IPv6 leak protection and a lot more besides. All these features come together to ensure that users are secured from all kinds of threats at all times.

Conclusion

A VPN for Windows has become vital in light of the way network connections are being regulated nowadays. From cybercriminals to businesses, everyone is in search of private user data for various purposes. What’s troubling is that these entities can go to any length in order to acquire what they are looking for. In times like these, VPNs are the most affordable and effective solutions against these threats.
Author Bio:
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Scott is a cyber-security professional. He's been writing in the internet privacy niche for a while now and has churned variety of informational pieces to educate his audience. Connect with him on Twitter.