How VPN works on Windows and how you can benefit from it

10 March 2020

Windows is one of the most widely used operating systems in the world. It is estimated that there are more than a billion Windows users worldwide. This extensive usage means that the amount of data available on Windows systems is enormous making them a target for hacks and other kinds of cyberattacks. A recent article published by Forbes reveals that unsigned firmware in laptop cameras, network interface cards, Wi-Fi adapters, and USB hubs puts millions of Windows users at risk of data theft and ransomware attacks.

These threats and vulnerabilities make the use of a VPN for Windows imperative. Here’s how a VPN for Windows works and how people can benefit from it:

Contents

0.1 How a VPN for Windows works
0.2 The benefits of a VPN for Windows
0.3 Comprehensive cybersecurity
0.4 Advanced encryption protocols

1 Some security steps to help you protect your data online

How a VPN for Windows works

A VPN for Windows 10 works by plugging the source of all hacks. The user’s IP address, while they are connected to the internet, is what leads cybercriminals to their position and allows them to initiate attacks. VPNs masks this IP address to minimize the ability of any cyber attacker to track and infect the system. The service will effectively eliminate any chances of malware or other bugs being able to reach the system software or hardware.

Did you know that Windows 10, the latest version of the operating system comes with its VPN client too? Windows acknowledges the prevalent threat from cybercrime and provides users with the option to enable data security from within the system. This VPN client can serve as a great complimentary service to a comprehensive VPN but it limits functionality because you can only connect to specific servers and this restricts internet access to a great extent.

The benefits of a VPN for Windows

There are several benefits of a VPN and these go beyond just allowing internet freedom without any restrictions. The main features that a VPN offers revolve around providing elaborate cybersecurity. Cybercriminals and their tactics are constantly evolving and this trend is expected to continue for several years. Here are some of the advantages that a VPN brings when it comes to providing protection against a variety of threats.

Comprehensive cybersecurity

VPNs offer a wide range of options to protect Windows systems against malicious elements online. These include secure servers spread across the globe and state-of-the-art AES encryption services which makes it hard for hackers to steal data emerging from the system. Most leading VPNs have over the top features like public Wi-Fi security, secure DNS, dedicated IPs, internet kill switches, DDoS protection and a lot more besides. All these features are effective in protecting a Windows system against cybercrime threats.

Advanced encryption protocols

Encryption is a vital pillar of cybersecurity and the more elaborate it is the better. Highly rated VPNs make sure that they provide additional encryption protocols for users to support themselves and the protection of their online presence effectively. These advanced protocols can be added on top of the standard features so that the overall strength of encryption can be increased.

Some security steps to help you protect your data online

It is important to note that a VPN alone can’t provide complete cybersecurity. The biggest loophole at times in the protective guard is the user themselves. There are tools and measures that are imperative to be taken in order to ensure that the threat is minimized to a level where it becomes insignificant. Here are some of the most effective tips in this regard:

Use antivirus

A VPN is good at detecting threats that may be incoming but users need something that can deal with elements that have already made their way into the system. This is where a good antivirus comes into play. It screens the device on a regular basis to make sure that no harmful malware is hiding inside the device because viruses have the ability to sit in a device for a long period of time and the user only gets to know about them after it’s too late.

Update all software regularly

Software that is out of date is much more vulnerable to cyberattacks because the development team has stopped working on protecting it. This means that if your software is not updated you are a greater risk of hacks and other attacks as compared to when your applications are up to date.

Install a secure browser like Tor

Tor is one of the browsers that hide user IP addresses as default. The IP originally is public but when you use a browser like Tor, it is masked, to begin with. Tor is not a complete of an alternative of a VPN though because the latter provides a lot of extraordinary features whereas the browser is just a basic service that is not adequate on its own.

Always keep strong passwords

Many of us shy away from strong passwords because they are hard to remember especially since there are so many of them. This is one of the biggest mistakes to make. There are several secure password managers out there which can hold all passwords, auto-fill them when necessary and take the burden of remembering them off your shoulders.

Stay vigilant

Vigilance is one of the most crucial factors because scams like phishing, man-in-the-middle or other similar ones have nothing to do with VPN. Protecting from these all comes down to being aware and careful of the existence of these threats.

Conclusion

While a VPN has become a necessary tool to have these days, it is more important to have knowledge about the threats and being vigilant to protect against them.

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Ariana Smith

I enjoy writing and I write quality guest posts on topics of my interest and passion. I have been doing this since my college days. My special interests are in health, fitness, food and following the latest trends in these areas. I am an editor at Content Rally.

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How to Increase the Safety of Your Employees

Employee safety should be your number one priority as a business owner – especially if your employees are constantly working at height. Should your employees slip or fall and cause injury to themselves, your company will have to face the consequences. For a start, your employees could be out for several weeks and you may have to pay them in full while they are recovering – you may also be faced with expensive lawsuits. Investing in safety measures isn’t cheap, but it is cost-effective and it ensures your employees are as safe as possible. Let’s have a look at some of the safety measures you can implement to improve safety. Invest in the Right Equipment: Having access to the right equipment for employees is crucial to complete the job in hand correctly and to undertake work safely. A quality safety harness for each employee is a good starting point. It ensures that they can attach themselves to a secure area that isn’t going to move – so if their platform they are working from did succumb to damage, they will be left hanging and waiting for assistance. If they are undertaking a bigger job when working from height and they’ll be handling a lot of materials, you’ll need to hire/purchase the right platforms. Improve Training: A lot of slips and falls happen in the workplace because employees aren’t trained properly. For example, you may have the right equipment in terms of safety harnesses and secure ladders, but employees might not know how to properly secure themselves. Train your employees on a regular basis and ensure you stay up-to-date with the latest workplace regulations. Training your employees won’t just benefit their safety, but it will also benefit your company in terms of increased efficiency. Determine if the Project is Safe to Work On: One of the many things employers overlook when it comes to working at height is the safety of the project itself. If the side of a building is crumbling and there’s no safe way of undertaking the work with the equipment you have – don’t take on the job. Your employee’s safety is far more important than profit. After all, if your employees are injured, you could be faced with much higher expenses than the project itself is worth. Can They Work from the Ground? A lot of the time, employees do have the option of working from the ground level or at least a level where it’s not too high. Specialist equipment can be considered in this instance, especially if your employees have to clean gutters from time to time. If your employees have the option of working from a lower level, ensure they know that it’s possible.In conclusion, increasing safety is an expense your business will have to front, not just to ensure employees are happy and safe when working at height, but also for legal reasons. Should your business not follow standard safety practices, it could end up being faced with a lawsuit.Read Also:Construction Safety – What You Didn’t Know! Staying Safe In The Office: 8 Workplace Safety Tips Everyone Should KnowThe Hidden Damages In Workspaces: 5 Steps To Reduce The Risk Of Workplace Injuries!

The Hidden Damages In Workspaces: 5 Steps To Reduce The Risk Of Workplace Injuries!

Cleaner workplace means high performance, increased employee productivity, and safe, healthy stuff. However, the always going production services increased workloads, and busy schedule causes the standards to dip.Of course, it's obvious that safety and health hazards occur on workspaces that have heavy machines and equipment where workers are engaged in strenuous manual labor. However, a place where most of the tasks are completed by just sitting on the chair posses less danger.According to the national safety council, in every 7-seconds, a worker is injured with most occupations like transportation, construction and more being the most common places for injuries.Here are a few things you need to look to reduce the risk of workplace injuries: To Minimize Falls: Things like trips, slips, and falls are the most common type of workplace injuries. To reduce them:Stay Clean And Clutter-Free: Things like files, boxes and other items in the walkways create a tripping hazard. So, make sure you store all the items in a proper location to prevent piles of clutter. Keep oils and other lubricants at separate shelves to avoid slips and falls. Besides, apart from posing electrical hazards, keeping cords and cables in the walkways poses more risk at workplaces. Step On The Chair: Using chairs and stools to pick up things comes in fall hazards. Therefore, employees who want to search for something at some height should use a stepladder. Just make sure that the ladders you give to employees should be placed on a level and stable ground. Make Sure Things Are Visible: There might be situations when workers can collide when taking a turn to blind corners. However, to prevent this, make sure to install mirrors (convex mirrors) at the intersection to minimize a collision. This way workers will be able to see who’s coming and collisions will be less likely to occur. Work In Skid-Resistant Floors: Placing carpets and having skid-resistant floors help reduce falls. Further, marbles and tiles can become slippery, especially in wet weather. However, having professionals like Commercial cleaning services Las Vegas will keep them clean and will reduce the chance of falls. Minimizing The Accidents Occurred From Moving Machinery:Machines that are not guarded are at high risk of safety. And, if anybody part get caught in or struck by the exposed part, without the protective guard, the result can be disastrous. Crushed hands, severed fingers, blindness, and injured arm are some of the common machine-related injuries. Moreover, these injuries occur in places where heavy equipment and machinery are used. However, protective equipment and attention to minor details help to avoid these injuries. Reduce Vehicle Injuries: Workers who drive for business purposes, often get injured in auto accidents, which can vary from the minor ones to the fatal ones. However, the employees safe-driving training and driver policies can help to reduce accidents. Reducing Falling Object Injuries: Objects that fall from shelves or by another person can result in serious injuries, with head injuries being the most common one. Employee’s negligence and employer’s hard work to keep the work environment free from any injuries. Of course, you should train employees for the usage of gears and machines.Overexertion Injuries: Things like pushing, lifting, pulling, carrying and throwing heavy objects at work can also cause serious overexertion injuries. Those who experience overexertion injuries can result in medical bills, physical therapy, missed work time. In fact, overexertion injuries are the second leading cause of on-job injuries and accidents. These are some most common associated injuries:Back Injuries: These injuries vary from mild strains to severe spinal cord injuries. Neck Injuries: Neck is the most sensitive body part, and any injury to this section can result in deleterious effects. Muscle Strains: while muscle injuries are not serious ones, they can prevent a worker from doing serious work. Pushing, lifting objects, carrying heavy things can result in muscle strain.So, those were some common work-related injuries. Keep them in mind and keep your employees safe and sound!Read Also:Making Your Office Safer For Workers How To Improve Workplace Security5 Safety Awareness Ideas To Maintain A Safe Workplace

How To Prevent A Ransomware Attack

Ransomware attacks are on the rise. Because there's currently no way to recover data once it has been encrypted by ransomware, it's important to do everything in your power to prevent it from happening to you in the first place.Here are steps and cyber security training you can take right now to help protect yourself against this cyber threat and all of its potentially devastating consequences.Top 8 Ways To Prevent A Ransomware Attack1. Maintain BackupsIt's important to maintain at least two copies of your data: one that remains in your possession and another which is backed up to offsite storage every night. Since you can't access the backup version if you have been infected by ransomware, it's important that you keep a second copy in a secure offline location. That way, even if the malware does encrypt your files, the ability to restore them will still exist.2. Encrypt FilesYou should encrypt all of your files before you send them over to your computer's backup location, and also make sure that you have full, expert-level encryption as well as a strong password in place on the backup drive. Better safe than sorry.3. Update Your SoftwareAs with all software, there are always patches and updates available for your antivirus or anti-malware software that could prevent ransomware from taking hold in the first place. If you're using endpoint protection software, make sure the update has been applied. If you're using a third-party antivirus or anti-malware package, get it to update as well.4. Develop Plans and PoliciesRansomware is a major threat to your business, and it can cause a major loss of revenue if you don't have a plan in place to prevent it. Therefore, it's important that you ensure that you have a backup policy and disaster recovery plan in place so that your company can act quickly in the event of a ransomware attack. Developing software protection policies, training users on backup procedures, and conducting penetration testing to find vulnerabilities and malicious activity are all effective ways of creating an effective prevention strategy.5. Train the TeamYou should train your team on how to respond should they encounter ransomware, how to avoid it happening in the first place, and what they can do if they do get compromised. Anti-malware software will help them recognize and protect against ransomware, but only if they know how to use it. The more training they receive, the better they will be at spotting ransomware, and the more likely they'll be able to take action quickly when it occurs.6. Monitor Files and Network ActivitiesPart of creating an effective backup plan is knowing where your files are located so that you can restore them. That way, if your computer is compromised, you can restore the files from your backup. You should also be monitoring for unauthorized access to both file-hosting and FTP sites. Additionally, it's important to monitor all of the network activity from your computer so that you can determine if someone is trying to gain access to machines that aren't theirs.7. Implement an IDSAn Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is a network security tool designed to detect and block network intrusions, such as attempts to gain unauthorized access. Since ransomware will attempt to disguise itself in order to get past an IDS and infect your computer, it's important that you implement one for your entire network. The IDS should be able to detect anything that looks out of the ordinary and will immediately notify you so that you can take action.8. Implement an Antivirus PolicyThe best way to protect your computer is with antivirus software, which automatically scans all of the files stored on your machine and makes sure that they are virus-free before you load them onto a machine.When your computer is infected, the antivirus program automatically starts working to detect and remove the malware. The best antivirus programs also have the ability to detect zero-day threats, which are new viruses that haven't even been discovered yet.Ransomware is a major threat to your business, so it's important that you take the above steps and cyber security training immediately to help protect yourself against this cyber threat and all of its potentially devastating consequences. It's also important that you remember these steps when figuring out how best to protect your computer against ransomware, as well as those in your network.Additional:What Is Zero Trust In Cybersecurity Context?Top 6 Cybersecurity Trends Everyone should KnowTop 7 Home Security Mistakes That Homeowners Need To Avoid MakingWHY ARE MORE THAN HALF OF SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY CLAIMS DENIED?