Preserving online privacy is a major challenge today. This problem is closely related to concept of the right of free access to information and storing data on the internet. The reality is that you and your computer are constantly monitored. On the one hand, most of this control is not dangerous, but if you’re concerned there are some steps you can take to increase your privacy.
For example, your internet service provider (ISP) keeps track of information about your web host, IP address or physical location, which is often considered impersonal information. On the other hand, plenty of dangers are still threatening internet users: hackers, viruses, and even sometimes government censors, who are tracking your information usage. Bestvpnrating conducted research to help you increase your internet security and protect your website.
It’s difficult for an average individual to understand the logic of a cybercriminal, but there are really only a few primary motives. One motive is money the other is the desire to create chaos. The internet takes things to another level, though. The internet allows you to get almost unlimited access to the lives of people, to their finances, real estate, and other property, and this is a huge temptation for criminals and scammers.
Big companies have separate IT departments staffed by highly qualified specialists who use the latest advanced cyber defense technologies to fight the growing number of cyber threats on a daily basis. Small businesses usually cannot afford such expenditures and, as a result, become easy prey for cybercriminals. According to Symantec, small businesses face almost 50 percent of all cyber attacks, which is a huge number. In their report on internet security threats, it is estimated that about one out of forty small businesses is at risk of a hacker attack.
Why Are Cybercriminals Targeting Small Businesses?
There are a variety of reasons why cybercriminals target small businesses. Here are the most frequent ones that business owners should be aware of:
- Absence of the IT department
- Limited financial resources for IT development
- Unprotected networks and systems
- Usage of cloud storage
- Using illegal software, websites, SaaS, PaaS
- A large amount of data
Fortunately, we found several methods to protect your corporate network or website from potential threats. Usually, they are divided into 2 groups: general and specific. Common threats are general attacks that affect the any vulnerable device connected to the internet. Specific threats are those attacks which target a specific network or company. They can lead to business interruption or data loss.
In order to protect your website from potential damage and prevent cyber attacks, IT specialists usually recommend using virtual private networks—or VPNs. Learn how to choose the best VPN service on this site.
What is a VPN?
Virtual private networks have been regarded as service-oriented networks for a long time. People use them while working remotely to store corporate network data and get access to internal company resources from remote locations. VPN is becoming extremely popular as a tool for increasing security. Individuals who travel frequently or work from remote locations can still be productive and connect to company data and applications over the internet. When you connect to the internet, your data and computer become accessible to outsiders, who can see the list of websites you visit, steal your data and even get access to your computer. The data can be sold to others, used to block access to websites or to identify you and determine your location.
VPNs use the most advanced IT security methods, providing customers with an additional level of security across the internet. At a basic level, VPN security means that the internet connection is private. You connect through a dedicated VPN server using a point-to-point security protocol or a tunneling protocol that does not allow any other user or data to enter your connection. Such a connection protects your anonymity and eliminates the possibility of malicious influence, including viruses, censors and hackers, allowing you and only you to have access to a computer.
VPN service for small businesses
VPN technology was complex to implement and use when it was first introduced. It required deep knowledge of the internet protocol and was not available to the public. VPN is now a commercially available product and is distributed in several forms. Just select the provider that best meets your requirements, and establishing secure access to the internet is relatively simple.
Choose wisely, though. Free VPN tools sound good, but free VPNs also often do more harm. You may assume that you are protecting your network and data, but if the free VPN service collects data, you are at significant risk, since your data may be stolen or even be sold to an interested person.
The first concern of VPN clients is what happens if the VPN does not work. This is not so rare since there are many technical reasons for this. Advanced users can protect their devices in several ways, including, for example, changing TCP / IP routes. Another problem is the leakage from the domain name server – DNS (the domain name catalog that computers use to identify websites). However, such troubles can be easily overcome by means of a top-quality VPN provider.
Do your homework and check out non-biased VPN reviews. Also, read forums and customer reviews to find out useful information on how to use the internet securely. All small business owners should use a VPN for reliable personal protection of their devices, networks, and personal data.