It’s holiday time again – dust off that VPN!

The first thing to say is that a VPN is for life – not just for the holidays.

What’s a VPN?

I could tell you about internet tunnels and cryptography here – I passed the secure networking test at Uni, but let’s keep it simple. It is a private, secure internet connection that you are in control of.

Why do you need a VPN?

Again let’s keep it simple – privacy and security.

So what?

Public WiFi

I am sitting having the first coffee of the day at Lauder Camping and Caravan Club Site, whilst I write this and to be honest I wish the sun was out!

The Club offers free Wi-fi on most of their sites now and we are camped about 10m from the site repeater mast. Under normal circumstances I would not use a public Wi-Fi but use the 5G on my phone but there is only intermittent 3G at this site. So Wi-Fi it is.

But I have no control over this network, for all I know the cyber security may be weak or non-existent. Someone may be collecting my browsing data whilst I am connected – there was a privacy statement provided, but if the security is weak that statement may not apply.

Now I am probably sure that the Club has reliable security set-up but why take the chance. After I complete this article I am going to be connecting to the SharePoint – and I do not want anything about that work to creep out.

So once connected to the free Wi-Fi, I then connected to our VPN and now I know no one can snoop.

Not just public Wi-Fi

The standard of “unknown cyber security status” should be applied to any network you connect to. I have often used my VPN when on new client’s site when I am unsure they understand what a secure network is.

If you have hybrid workers they should definitely be using your VPN when they are working away from your secure network, be that home, hotel or coffee shop.

Of course we can help…

Because a VPN is such an important security tool we can provide you and your organisation with a VPN as part of our advanced anti-virus package.

Now is the moment in this article when you should contact us.

Just one more thing…

Two actually. The sun has come out whilst I was writing this and I am on holiday and the next thing I am going to do is check out some local walks, using the free internet. Still connecting using the VPN.

A VPN is for personal browsing not just for work.