Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
If you ever find yourself in a coffee shop or your local pub, using the free Wi-Fi in to check business emails, then you need to think about web security. This is where a no log VPN can help.
We’ve all heard horror stories about people being hacked and having their data stolen, or worse. It might even have happened to you. Doesn’t it just make sense to consider how you are connecting and how you can make your connection more secure?
Most of us have multiple devices all connecting with different networks. Therefore, it’s important to protect your business wherever you may be and on whatever devices you may be using.
What Is a No Log VPN?
VPN stands for “virtual private network.” This is a method of connecting to another computer in a secure manner.
How it works is that the VPN provider encrypts any data you send. This protects your information when you connect to the internet, even when you’re using a public Wi-Fi connection.
This also means malevolent snoopers and any website you connect to will think you are in the country your VPN server is in.
When a VPN provider says they are a “no log” VPN, this means they keep no data on your internet activity. However, that can mean different things depending upon the company.
A VPN provider with a no log policy provides security for your business, even when you or your staff are on the road.
Device Security Is a Must
The problem we all face is that there are so many people out there who are intent on gaining access to our personal and business data. Especially since the beginning of covid-19 lockdowns, security services are reporting that the problem is getting worse.
These bad actors often gain access by inserting malevolent programs onto our devices. They also use public Wi-Fi hacks to also steal our information.
Analysts are seeing an increase in scams like the “evil twin” hack, in which a scammer sets up a Wi-Fi network with a name very similar to the name of the public network you are expecting to see. Of course, they are hoping you will connect with their malicious site instead of the legitimate one.
Incidences of the “man in the middle” attack are also on the increase. In this hack, someone positions themselves between you and the public Wi-Fi access point. Then they can intercept your data.
RELATED ARTICLE: SMART TIPS FOR BETTER SMALL BUSINESS CYBER SECURITY
Whatever the method they use, once they get in, hackers can gain access to passwords, banking data, and other personal information. Alarmingly, they can also, of course, access your company’s systems if your device is set up to access those systems.
Additionally, if you are in the UK or the EU you must comply with the rules around GDPR, which protects customer and employee data. If a hacker accesses an employee’s devices when they connect to your network and the employee suffers a data breach, you could find yourself facing a hefty fine.
But using a no log VPN that encrypts all of your connectivity and makes all of your devices much more secure.
What Are the Benefits of Using No Log VPN Day-to-Day?
Although the use of a no log VPN makes security so much tighter, it also has other uses.
The first and probably best use from a business point of view is that by deploying a no log VPN, you can allow employees to connect to your company’s internal network securely from wherever they happen to be. This means that whether they are sitting in a coffee shop in Cairo or a library in Lisbon they will still be able to work as if they were in the office.
As an added benefit, when the user connects to the internet through the VPN, the VPN provider’s servers act as a gateway. Then, any observer, whether malicious or benign, will see only the location of the VPN server instead of the actual location of the device through which the user is connecting.
This can be helpful, because many networks and websites are automatically set to reject connections from certain countries or specific regions. For example, Google and Facebook are banned in China, and LinkedIn and Reddit aren’t available in Russia.
But if you have deployed a VPN in your business, your employees who are on the road can easily access the vital services they need in order to carry out their jobs. In other words, using a no log VPN gets around any geoblocking and enables your employees to work normally.
You might also be using a BitTorrent to pass large files between employees. However, many internet services now throttle these sharing tools. This can make downloading incredibly slow, but with a no log VPN this isn’t an issue. Therefore, if you have people in the field who need access to large files, a no log VPN can be the solution.
RELATED ARTICLE: WHY THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR A SLOW WEBSITE IN 2021
Not All No Log VPN’s Are Equal
Although most VPN providers claim that they are a no log service, in fact, this isn’t always strictly true. Some may collect and store no data whatsoever. In this case, they truly are a no log VPN service. But others do collect data and store it on their own servers.
The important message here is to read the provider’s privacy policy. Find out exactly what they collect and how they use it. You might even discover that some VPN providers reserve the right to sell your data!
RELATED ARTICLE: 5 FEATURES TO LOOK FOR IN A PAYMENT GATEWAY
It’s Time to Take Internet Security Seriously
We’d all like to think that we could never be hacked. But the truth of the matter is that probably every person who has ever been hacked has thought that.
With the threat of internet crime increasing in recent years, it is more important than ever that we all do our bit to make sure our data and that of our customers stays safe.
Using a no log VPN for all of your devices is a great way to ensure you always connect safely.
