The Biggest Dangers of Not Securing Your VPN

VPNs are becoming more popular by the day as more people are worried about their internet privacy. For those who might not know, VPN stands for virtual private network. You can use a VPN to protect your identity, mask your location, and maintain anonymity online. At the same time, a VPN is not invincible. It is important for you to secure your VPN. If you don’t take the time to secure your VPN, you expose our network to a number of security risks.

You Will Compromise Your Security

The primary purpose of most VPN options is to protect you from hackers. Therefore, it might come as a surprise to hear that some VPNs actually contain malware. Malware is one of the biggest security risks in the digital world. A study was published recently that found that many free VPN providers actually contain malware. Some of the biggest culprits include CrossVPN, Betternet, and SuperVPN. Furthermore, the study found that more than a third of VPNs showed signs of infection with various types of malware. Of note, most of the malware related to advertising which is likely how free VPN options remain afloat. Premium VPN services provide malware protection, built-in adblockers, and unlimited bandwidth. As a result, you should be wary of relying on a free VPN for security. Make sure that you test your VPN for leaks. This will help you uncover vulnerabilities in your network. Then, you can patch them before a hacker exploits the opening and steals your personal data.

You Will Reveal Your Online Activity

One of the most common reasons why people use a VPN is to mask their online activity. You might be shocked to find out that many VPN services actually track your online activity. Another study discovered that close to three-quarters of all free VPNs actually implant third-party tracking programs in their software. The reason why free VPN services want to track your online activity is that they can sell it to advertisers. If marketers know what you do on the internet, they can target the ads to your specific browsing purposes.

Even though free VPN providers claim to protect your privacy, they might be doing the exact opposite. They can collect your personal information and then sell it to willing customers. Don’t let a free VPN track your internet activity.

Your Bandwidth Might Be Limited

If your VPN is not secure, you might end up slowing down your own bandwidth. Poor VPNs are not secure. As a result, malware might infiltrate your VPN and drain your network’s resources. If you do a quick search on your network to figure out why your bandwidth is so slow, you might not recognize the programs that are chewing up your data. They might actually be different forms of malware that stem from your unsecured VPN. You need to make sure that you secure your VPN in order to protect your network’s bandwidth.

Your Network Information Might Be Sold

If you don’t take the time to lock down your VPN, your network information might end up getting sold. One free VPN service makes money by letting their premium devices steal the processing power of their free users. Essentially, they take someone’s bandwidth and sell it to someone else to make a profit. This only highlights the vulnerabilities that exist when you don’t secure your VPN. When your network information passes between multiple hands, it also makes you more vulnerable to a cyberattack. To prevent this from happening, you need to secure your VPN. Protect your network information and bandwidth from getting stolen.

You Must Secure Your VPN

These are only a few of the many dangers that manifest when you don’t secure your VPN. There are countless benefits of using a secured VPN including protecting your privacy, identity, online activity, and personal information. On the other hand, an unsecured VPN also exposes you to a variety of threats. Take the time to secure your VPN.