Hackers are a serious problem around the world nowadays. The former statement cannot be overstated enough. This is not to say that hackers were not always an issue, but simply that they have better tools and more opportunities on a larger surface, which is the Internet 2.0 almost 5 billion people, millions of organizations, and the top levels of government all share today (or are connected to it in some way).

Hackers (technically Black Hat hackers – the malicious ones) pose a threat to our most critical infrastructures and our sensitive information, which can be caused by several types of cybercrime and social engineering techniques. Cybercrime can affect anyone, from innocent bystanders to the world’s largest organizations and most well-defended government systems. The world’s heavy reliance on digital technologies and the internet have opened the door to all types of hackers and hacking operations, as has the sheer amount of gullible people online. For this reason, all of us need a powerful way to defend our devices, data, and internet traffic. This is exactly why you need to understand what a VPN is, why you should use it, and learn how a VPN encrypts your internet traffic.

The aspect that is most at fault for vulnerable entry points into a point of data storage or a device is mostly human error. This is derived from decades of threat intelligence knowledge, and IT specialists (especially those that are security-focused) know that human error causes 90% or more of cyber incidents. Most people believe that sophisticated hackers can breach any system at will, but this just isn’t the case. A system must first have a vulnerability either in the code of its software or operating system, or the network security, for a hacker to be able to compromise anything directly.

To top it all off, millions of people do not have sufficient password security knowledge, and a lot of internet users overshare information about themselves online, making the job all the easier for hackers and scammers prowling the digital landscape.

A big part of vulnerable entry points is the key element that is the network that provides the internet and facilitates interaction with the internet itself. For these reasons, the way we configure the devices and the cybersecurity tools we use (if at all in a lot of cases) determines whether our personal and sensitive data, accounts as well as our device’s integrity could be compromised.

One of the quickest, most practical, and effective ways to throw off hackers is to use a revolutionary network security software known as a VPN. Let’s get into that.

 

What is a VPN?

A VPN is a specialized tunneling software that belongs to the network security cybersecurity industry niche. This software is offered by dozens of companies worldwide known as VPN vendors and is very easy to install and use. In effect, a VPN encrypts a user’s internet connection by connecting it to a proprietary “middleman” network, thereby cloaking and protecting it entirely from interception and targeted attacks. Think of it as throwing a blanket of invisibility over your entire local network.

A VPN not only throws off hackers trying to sniff out a connection or find the location of an internet user but also disturbs the processes of marketing agencies and data collection algorithms that target all of us daily.

Most premium tier VPNs include AES 256-bit algorithms that are almost impossible to reverse-engineer, which means that a hacker trying to intercept a user’s internet connection (via a user’s home router or a public WiFi connection) will be met with a blank screen of information. Without a VPN, a hacker can launch a MiTM (Man-in-The-Middle) attack, a type of cyberattack, and sniff out what the user is doing online. A hacker can also pick up several bits of information such as a local IP address that belongs to the user if a user does not use a VPN.

VPNs are used to surf the internet in countries with internet censorship, conduct safe financial transactions online, keep you safe on unsecured networks, and much more. While on a VPN, your internet traffic is unreadable by your ISP, the government, and the millions of websites and users.

 

How a VPN Throws Off Hacking Attempts

So, how does a VPN throw off hackers, exactly? As we said above, this is mostly about the encryption algorithm that puts your connection in a secure tunnel, otherwise impossible without a VPN. If a hacker intercepts your internet connection, either by hacking into your router or using other software to “sniff” on your data packets, the hacker will not see anything when you are connected to a VPN.

Secondly, it is also about the fact that a VPN modifies your IP (local internet address) so that your actual physical location (wherever you are in the world) cannot be found. By choosing one of the servers offered by the VPN app, you are effectively telling the rest of the internet that that is where you are located.

All of this means that a hacker cannot perform common cyber attacks like DDoS, MiTM, Sniffing, Doxing, or perform any type of scam or credential theft or remote control on your devices when you use a VPN.

It is important to note that a VPN is not an antivirus or antimalware software, it is network security software that offers encryption and obfuscation at the network level. If you fall into an email phishing scam or an Android banking trojan, a VPN cannot fight or delete malicious files for you. If your passwords are short, easy to guess, and repeated across many of your accounts, a VPN cannot help you there either.

To get started with a VPN, all you need to do is download a paid, top-tier VPN that gives you peace of mind. First of all, pick a VPN, activate your monthly subscription, and then just download and activate the software. Once there, ensure that it is on, and start browsing the internet with unprecedented levels of privacy and security without fear of getting hacked or having your precious data stolen.