In times like these, where privacy and anonymity on the internet are pretty much non-existent,
VPN sales are breaking records left and right. A VPN allows you to browse the internet completely privately and anonymously. Even for the internet provider, getting a grip on your data is hard when using a VPN. If you are someone who values privacy and anonymity, not having a VPN doesn’t make sense. Also, using tools like privacy browsers can help you a lot in the war of data selling and cookie tracking.
What is a VPN?
In short, VPN stands for Virtual Private Network, which makes it seem to your internet provider or anyone on the internet that you are in a different location than your home network or office network. Most VPN services make it so that you appear to be surfing the web from an entirely different country or continent.
How a VPN works is it relays all your internet traffic or usage through another server far away from your actual location.
So, there is no possible way for people to know where you are located, simply based on your IP address; only through extensive police work and live network tapping might they be able to find you. VPNs are an amazing piece of technology that often gets misunderstood. Which is disappointing since it has limitless possibilities and applications.
The best VPN solution
Luckily, with the advancements in technology, there are some great VPN options out there.
Especially when it comes to business applications and professional uses. Finding a VPN for these applications can be a little bit tricky. However, with that said, services like zero trust VPN solution turn the game around and provide that service you want on a larger scale.
This makes it perfect for your business or workspace. It is easy to cheap out on a VPN. But with business VPNs you definitely do not want to do that. .
Make use of different passwords
Using the same password for multiple services puts everything at risk. Those services can hack and leak your data. In that way, indirectly leaking the password for all your other services. This can be really a hassle, though, since people tend to forget passwords rather quickly. That’s why you should make use of password managers. Most browsers nowadays have a built-in password manager.
Not to scare you, but the password managers holding your passwords can also be hacked, but the chances of that are very low since they are aware they are handling such sensitive data.
Since there are always people that want that extra layer of protection, a way that is 100% unhackable is by physically writing down your passwords on a piece of paper. It is not stored anywhere on a server or computer, so it is 100% untraceable.
What is encryption and why you should worry about it
There are also plenty of corporate solutions for password managers or other forms of storing passwords. That’s why you may hear the word encryption being thrown around a lot. Encryption pretty much means changing the physical letters and numbers to different symbols, which can then be decrypted when needed.
For example, your banking app or website database stores an encrypted version of your blank letter password. Then, the encryption changes your blank password to a string of numbers, symbols or letters which can then be decrypted with the help of a software solution designed for this. Encryption is not something you should pay too much attention to unless you are actively storing passwords of users. In such an instance, encryption becomes a necessity.
Make use of multi-factor authentication
Yes, 2-factor authentication can be annoying, time-consuming and tedious to deal with for you and your employees. But Google released data back in 2017 letting us know that 2-factor authentication prevented about 99,8% of all hacking attempts.
You can secure a 2-factor authentication by choosing to send or receive an SMS containing the authentication code, without which it would be impossible to log into a platform or access an account. Additionally, authenticator apps can be used for multi-factor authentication. Combine all the things listed above, and you won’t have to worry about your safety on the internet.
Hire skilled ITers
By making sure you hire skillful IT professionals, you’ll significantly reduce the chances of a cyber attack or something similar happening to your network. A common mistake you often see is companies thinking that they can do things themselves. Believe it or not, this is a very common theme in the business world. Skimping out or cheaping out here will actually cause more harm than good.
ITers have to go to rigorous studies and exams prior to graduating to an IT position. With an oversaturated market, and everyone trying to get into IT, try making sure you only hire the best of the best.
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