It’s easy to become a cyberattack target, but a VPN can help

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The first thought or assumption that anyone probably makes about cybercrime is that only the countries with less digital literacy are prevalent in it. However, this is simply a myth and needs to be debunked soon. The fact is, North America and Northern European countries are actually on the top of the list that is targeted by cyber risks and threats.

There is immense evidence available to support the notion that cybercrime happens everywhere and is not limited to any specific country or location. Therefore, the need for subscribing to a premium VPN like ExpressVPN increases day by day.

That’s why people have started relying on VPN services to protect themselves against online nuisance. To further improve the users’ experience, premium services like ExpressVPN started offering a 30-day money-back guarantee to new subscribers, allowing them to test the services before committing to them permanently. You just need to know how to cancel ExpressVPN and get the refund back almost immediately!

This gives you an entire month to assess and deduce whether a VPN service is strong enough to protect you from becoming a Cyberattack target. Sounds like a fair investment, right?

Did You Know That Cyber Attacks Elevated to New Heights During the Pandemic?

A very little-known fact is that while the entire world was grappling with the loss of their normality and was forced to stay inside the bounds of their homes, hackers worldwide were at their best form yet. They were taking advantage of the digital chaos that had suddenly struck the world – from scamming the victims with fake COVID-19 tests to attacking the health institutions with a ransom; cybercrime was at an all-time high.

It is now factually proven that in March 2020, cybercrime was 400 times higher than its previous year. In fact, in the April of the same year, Google was forced to block almost 18 million emails (regularly) for phishing and malware.

And who can forget the first-ever ransomware death in September 2020 when in Germany, several servers in a hospital were encrypted and held hostages for ransom? Due to this reason, the hospital was, in fact, forced to redirect its patients. Of course, that was an extreme situation; many attacks led to drained band accounts and other hacking issues.

Developed Country or Not – You Are Still at Risk

As we said earlier, it’s simply a myth that only developing countries or under-developed countries experienced cybercrime. The honest truth is that anyone can be a victim of cybercrime – you don’t need to be digitally illiterate or extremely wealthy to be a potential victim.

The reason why North America and other Northern European countries were at the top of the potentially highlighted list was due to the higher income earned by the users and the amount of time these users spend online.

So far, 20 percent of the people of the United States have already been attacked by cybercrime and jackets. And the most dangerous news is that most of the hackers were younger and extremely tech-savvy.

This isn’t to scare you and tell you there’s no point in protecting yourself from threats since such tech-savvy individuals are behind the deed. But it is simply to warn you and guide you about the various digital habits that you need to adopt and cyber tools that you need to utilize to increase your level of security online.

Can A VPN Protect You Online?

One of the safest bets that you can put on is VPNs when it comes to ensuring your safety. A VPN is essentially a digital clock that helps instore your safety and maintain privacy online. How it works is simple to understand. It basically encrypts the tunnel that channels information your way and vice versa.

So, the traffic that comes your way and the data that you give away if clocked with the help of a VPN. After connecting to a VPN, it wouldn’t matter which website you visit or which service you consume, your IP address will be safe and protected and hidden from the platform.

The IP address is hidden from the platforms your visit, due to which your actual location can never be tracked. Your IP address is actually changed, and you are given an IP address that is safe and secure. If you opt for a premium VPN like ExpressVPN, you will get premium features like CyberSec.

This is a great feature as it helps block all the ads and other malicious targeting that come your way when you surf online. The emergence of numerous pop-up ads and other bombarding is common and equally dangerous. However, if you have ExpressVPN, this feature will restore security and ensure your devices are hidden and protected from these hacking feats.

Features Offered by ExpressVPN

There are several features that are offered by ExpressVPN that are extremely helpful in ensuring your safety. Some of them are mentioned below, along with their function.

1. Kill Switch: This is a great feature that protects your data and location even when your internet connection drops unexpectedly. In fact, if you are someone whose internet connection is really poor and constantly struggling, this feature will come in handy. At no point during the connection will you face threats or potential insecurity – even fi your internet connection drops.
2. No-Log Policy: ExpressVPN has many policies that enable a smooth service to users and its no-log policy is one of those. The great thing about this feature is that it wouldn’t be collecting and storing your timestamps or traffic data. In fact, there would be no logging of sessional information or even bandwidth usage data.

Tips to Ensure Safety While Using A VPN

There is no doubt that a VPN is now part of a digital protection toolkit. It should ideally be part of your internet tours. But there are more ways to ensure safety online. Of course, some of them are extremely basic but important to note down nonetheless. Some of them are mentioned below.

• Create and use strong passwords and unique passwords for every platform. The best way to keep a note of all passwords can be difficult, so a password manager tool can be of help.
• Always utilize an antivirus. Like your skin is the first defense against bacteria, this is the first line of defense against online threats and viruses too.
• Make sure all your apps and devices are up to date. Many hackers wait for the patches to show true colors until they make an unexpected attack. Don’t let them exploit your inattention.
• Maintain a backup where all your important files and data are stored. This way, you will always have access to important information and wouldn’t be held against ransom for sensitive information.
• Always use the two-factor authentication tool. This, again, works are another layer of protection for you against malware and threats.
• Never click on unknown links. This goes for anything that could look suspicious or insecure.
• Don’t use public Wi-Fi as it can easily hack your device and track your data. Until and unless you use a VPN, never give it up to public Wi-Fi.

In Conclusion

There are many ways you could get into trouble, but the worst is in the form of cybercrime. The world is a dangerous place, especially the virtual world. And so, it is extremely important to ensure your security by always taking help from VPNs.