Over the past few months, Work From Home (WFH) has seen an explosion. En masse, companies and their employees, have responded to social distancing measures by staying home and relying on secure remote solutions to stay connected with their business networks.
However, increasingly, individuals are also using tools to secure online communications.
One such solution, being used by both businesses and individuals is VPN.
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure, encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server operated by a VPN service. All of your Internet traffic is routed through this tunnel making your data secure from spying eyes along the way. Since your Internet traffic is exiting the VPN server, your device appears to have the IP address of the VPN server which masks your identity and location.
Every time you go online confidential information such as your passwords, banking information, and sensitive company confidential information may be transmitted.
To more fully understand the value of a VPN connection for individuals, let’s observe a scenario where a VPN might be used. consider public Wi-Fi networks like coffee shops or the airport. You might normally connect to these networks without giving it a second thought. However, can you be sure who or what might be watching the traffic on those networks?
Not at all! In fact, every time you go online confidential information such as your passwords, banking information, and sensitive company confidential information may be transmitted.
Traditionally, VPN connections have been associated with businesses. However, these days, VPN’s do much more!
Individuals interested in securing their communications over unsecured public Wi-Fi networks and remaining anonymous during online transactions are subscribing to paid VPN services.
A VPN can keep your personal computer, smartphone, tablet, and other Internet connected devices safe from hackers and malware, protecting your data and communications.
With cybercrime on the rise, it’s easy to see why so many individuals have started using VPN connections on their personal devices.
While no service or application alone can guarantee your immunity from cyber criminals, using a VPN connection will certainly increase your security. Using a VPN connection on your personal devices will protect you in the following ways:
The use of VPN is growing at a rapid pace and increasingly is being recognized as a basic Internet security practice. As we discussed, there are many benefits of using a VPN connection, including providing you with strong security and ensuring your Internet communications are encrypted and safe to use.
Cyber criminals are active 24/7/365. Let’s learn from business cybersecurity best practice and provide our personal Internet connected devices with the proper protection.
Questions about how to stay secure while working remotely? Ingalls helps businesses large and small manage security risks and defend against cyberattacks. If you’d like to learn more, please contact us here. One of our cybersecurity experts will be more than happy to assist you and answer any questions you may have.
About the Author
Daniel Guidry, CCNA, NSE
Mr. Guidry is a 16 year veteran in Information Technology and Cybersecurity with an emphasis on Network Engineering and Systems Administration. Working in both public and private sectors, Mr. Guidry has extensive knowledge in building and managing network infrastructures, external and internal security best practices, and building trustworthy client relationships. Mr. Guidry has held many industry leading certifications and continues his education through various platforms.
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