The global pandemic has brought many innovations to our daily lives. Many people started working from home, pupils and students started studying remotely. The majority of meetings and educational activities have moved to a distance as well. Thus, the changed situation in the world led to the fact that people began to spend much more time online.
The trade and marketing sectors took this into account. The widened range of services provided and goods sold made it possible for people to live comfortably without leaving their homes. However, all these changes have a negative side. Along with the expanding possibilities, there appeared more opportunities for hackers to profit.
Cyber-crime increased by 50 % since the beginning of the pandemic
According to various statistics sources, the number of cyber-crimes has increased by 50 % since 2018. While ransomware attacks increased more than 350 % at the same time. All these numbers are not just statistics. Every attack means loss of personal information, financial loss and often business bankruptcy. Unfortunately, the majority of small businesses are unprepared for cyber-attacks.
That is why it is considered to be an extremely fast growing problem for the countries which have online payment systems and well developed internet infrastructure. Having in mind that cybercrimes are becoming more aggressive and organized, it is likely that their number will continue to grow in the near future. It is predicted that there will be at least 33 billion accounts breached in 2023 and the number of attacks targeting companies will increase 3-5 times.
Such data is alarming. It shows that if we have not yet experienced cyber attacks, it is likely that we will experience them in the near future. That is why people are encouraged to take the initiative, to look for ways to protect personal data. At this time, when the supply is high, the question – what security measures should be taken? – may arise. Also, is it that simple to use them? If so, then why are so many hacker attacks becoming successful every day?
A Virtual Private Network is the best solution
While many things can contribute to your online security, one of the most important is a Virtual Private Network (VPN). That is a security tool which helps you to stay private online. As it establishes an encrypted connection between your device and the internet, the third parties cannot access it. In other words, even though your IP, your search history and other information can be seen by your Internet service provider, website’s you use administrators or Government, as soon as you start using VPN, they no longer have access to it.
This tool is also effective for those who seek to protect their personal data from cyber attackers. They cannot see your IP address and other data, only your location – the country of the server you are connected to. So, there is not even a theoretical possibility that hackers could trace you back.
What is more, safety guarantee is not the only thing that VPN offers. For example, minimizing ping is one of the benefits that online gamers appreciate the most. Also, by changing your IP address to another country you can get cheaper airline tickets, save money when booking hotels and get the best deals for Spotify, Netflix, Amazon Prime and many more using the best VPN for streaming.
So, the benefits of VPN services are undeniable. But which is better to choose – Business VPN or Personal VPN? Which one is better and what is the difference between them? Let us find out!
When do you need to get a Personal VPN?
As it can be understood from the name, Personal VPN is designed to be used by individuals for their personal reasons. Here are the main of them:
· To access geo-blocked content
· To use public Wi-Fi safely
· To block ISP tracking
· To ensure safety of your sensitive personal information
· To reduce the ping
· To use subscribe various service and buy goods cheaper
When do you need to get a Business VPN?
Business VPN (or Corporate VPN) has features that are not relevant for personal use but are important for businesses. Find some of them down below:
· To use static IP address for the company
· To ensure secure company’s data and resources when employers are working remotely
· To control the access to certain information
· To be able to connect hundreds of simultaneous connections at the time
· To protect the corporate network
Personal VPN and Business VPN Comparison
So, as you can already see from the Personal VPN and Business VPN review above, their benefits are balanced for personal and company or organization use. For example, Personal VPN offers a limited number of simultaneous connections from one account. Usually this number ranges from 6 to 10, but some Personal VPN providers do not allow simultaneous connections at all. Meanwhile, Business VPN is designed to allow hundreds of individuals with access to company data to connect to it.
Users of Personal VPN are provided with the dynamic IP address which can be shared among other users at the same time. While Business VPN provides a static IP address for the company in order to ensure its convenience. It means that static IP is not shared among other companies or users.
Another thing worth noting is that a Personal VPN user has complete control of the account. So, it is up to him / her on how to use it and what decisions to take in one or another situation. Meanwhile, Business VPN has to have the account manager which has a right to add or remove the users and to control their access to different data of the company. You also have the option to deny access to company data when working remotely.
Also, Personal VPN is much easier to use than Business VPN. You may download and set up a VPN for personal use only in a few clicks. However, to use a Business VPN, you will not be able to do it that quickly and in most cases require specialists having specialized knowledge about the process. The same applies to VPN account maintenance. If you can get all the help you need from online support when using Personal VPN provider’s services, if you have problems with Business VPN, you will need professional help.
So, which one to choose?
Although our comparison makes it quite clear which type of VPN would work best for you, however it does not work in all cases. The question – which one to choose? – still relevant for small businesses. Their owners hesitate whether their needs can be better served by a personal VPN or a Business VPN? Although this question can of course only be answered best by the company itself, you have nothing to lose by trying Personal VPN.
If the number of simultaneous connections that VPN service provider provides is sufficient for you, try to get by with it. This way, you can protect your business and avoid the additional fees that would be required to install and maintain a Business VPN. In addition, if you choose to use Business VPN, you will probably not use most of its features. Meanwhile, once you’ve started protecting your data with Personal VPN, you can always switch to Business VPN as your business grows.
In any case, whichever VPN you choose, the most important thing is that your business data will be safe and secure. Bearing in mind that small businesses are one of the most common targets of cyber attackers, it is better not to take risks and invest in online security. Otherwise, sparing money to invest in security can be very expensive and even bankrupt your business.
Do not forget to think critically
After choosing the VPN type and provider that best meets your expectations, remember that it does not do anything magical. This means that even when using such a security measure, it is important to think critically so that you do not fall on the hook of cyber attackers.
Thus you should keep your computers and other devices up to date as well as regularly update your antivirus software and create strong passwords for your accounts. Also, watch out for phishing scams – do not click on any links or attachments that you are not familiar with.
Is that all? Unfortunately, not. Perhaps the most important thing is to be careful when using all these tools and not disclose your personal data by yourself. This is one of the most common mistakes people make. Although they pay a lot of attention to their online security, at the same time, they can freely enter their personal data in a pop-up window or another form provided. In this way, cyber attackers don’t even have to bother, because you provide all the information yourself.
Finally, it is recommended to make backup copies of important business data. It should be hoped that you will never need to use it, but if you do have to experience a cyber-attack, this information will be useful to you.
