Beware the Cyber Risks of Using a Free VPN
VPN (virtual private network) services are extremely common in this age of privacy concerns, offering a quick and easy way for internet users to avoid tracking and geographic profiling when they access online services.
Unfortunately, free VPNs come with a host of potential security risks and could even make your internet browsing less secure than it was before you started using them.
Here are some of the threats that come with free VPNs and how you can avoid them.
Nothing for Nothing: You May Be Paying for Your Free VPN with Your Private Information
Whoever said that the best things in life are free clearly wasn’t an expert on cybersecurity. In the realm of VPN providers, there’s a direct correlation between the cost of service and the safety of use.
While free VPNs may seem like a good idea, web users should always ask themselves: if it’s free, how does the company make money?
- In most cases, free VPN providers generate their income from selling access to your time, attention, and sometimes even your data
- Free VPN services tend to bombard your browser with ads, giving advertisers full access to you as a captive audience while you use the service
- Some of these ads may be suspicious in nature, with malware waiting to infect your device once you click on them.
Worryingly, some free VPNs may even sell your private data or internet browsing information to third parties or allow hackers to hijack your device. Recently. researchers found 28 free VPN apps on Google Play that had links to cybercrime networks.
Given that these providers are almost always located outside of the country, any form of legal recourse you may seek against them could be highly difficult, if not impossible, if your private information is compromised.
Why It’s Worth Investing in a Paid VPN
Like most things in the market, premium VPNs, which require a purchase or subscription fee, are more likely to offer safe and effective services.
- By opting for a paid VPN, you can rest easy knowing that you won’t be bombarded with unwanted ads and that the company has no incentive to sell your data to third parties
- In fact, they have every reason to keep your data safe by investing in advanced cybersecurity for users of their service
Paid VPNs bring several benefits, primarily privacy when browsing online, and can be an integral part of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy for individuals and companies alike.
Boost Your Data Security
To further boost data security, we recommend browsing our range of secure cloud storage packages for households and businesses of all sizes. As we said earlier, nothing good comes for free but our lineup of automated backup solutions offers an affordable monthly storage option that’s ideal for any organisation.