COVID-19 pandemic challenges: secure online safety and privacy

Coronavirus pandemic makes people stay home and use the internet for work and entertainment – #StayHome with Private Internet Access VPN

#StayHome use VPN#StayHome to save lives: employ a VPN to protect your privacy

When a new coronavirus in Wuhan, China was spotted, possibly nobody was predicting a worldwide pandemic. As the infection progressed, it engulfed country after country, each announcing quarantine and #StayHome[1] movements on social media emerging. Many people were forced into working from home, going out only for necessary purposes such as shopping, and forgetting the daily life they used to know before COVID-19 outbreak.

The interconnected countries might have triggered a higher rate of infections worldwide, but technologies also help people greatly when having to deal with the pandemic. New hospitals are being built just within just a few weeks,[2] and more volunteers are trying to help the healthcare sectors with all they can, such as providing food for doctors or making the much-needed masks and other equipment. While not everyone can perform the daily activities from home, those who can, are significantly decreasing the spread of the novel coronavirus, reducing the number of deaths worldwide.

COVID-19 pandemic also had a huge impact on cybersecurity sector, as many cybercriminal groups are targeting people with phishing emails related to the outbreak, delivering malware in the process. Even though some threat actors claimed they would stop attacking hospitals during this difficult time (and broke the promise already),[3] the healthcare sector still has to deal with infections like Ryuk ransomware. Currently, the focus on online safety and privacy should be as big as it ever been, as people, forbidden to go outside, also seek some entertainment via the internet.

Luckily, there is a number of different technologies that could help you not only to stay safe from malware while in quarantine but also help to protect your online privacy and unlock content you might otherwise not be able to view. One of such tools is Private Internet Access VPN, or otherwise known as PIA, and we are here to describe how can it help you during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stay safe with Private Internet Access VPN You can connect to a remote server, encrypting your online traffic and changing the IP, with just one click of a mouse

How does a VPN work?

VPN, or a Virtual Private Network, is a technology that allows to send and receive data across public or shared networks anonymously. By using encrypted layered tunnelling protocol,[4] the service encrypts data sent from applications and services located on the computer, hiding the IP in the process.

This not only works for online trackers like cookies or web beacons encountered on various websites, but also for your Internet Service Provider (ISP). You see, technically, your ISP could easily find out what websites you visit and what files you are downloading. Without a doubt, it would be a violation of privacy, so this is only done in cases when authorities ask the ISP to do so. Nonetheless, you should keep this in mind.

When using a VPN, you can pick from many different servers located in various countries, and connect to one of them, hiding your IP and everything that you are doing online. In such a way, the government, your ISP or threat actors can find out anything about your time spent online. While it is technically possible, it requires a lot of resources and financing (this explains how some hackers get caught – they do not hide their trail well enough), and the government will not spend millions to find out what cat pictures you were viewing online while connected to a Private Internet Access VPN.

Private Internet Access VPN  simple UIEven if you are not tech-savvy, Private Internet Access simple UI will help you navigate through various features easily

These are the reasons why you should start using a VPN right now

For a regular user, a VPN is one of the best resources to keep online privacy at the highest level. However, technology is one of the main security measures, as well. When trying to connect to a remote computer via Remote Desktop, a VPN like Private Internet Access can protect this connection, making it invisible to the attackers. If you connect to a remote machine without employing a VPN, you are not only putting your own security in danger but also the company. You should think twice before connecting in an insecure way, as ramifications could be disastrous if threat actors could access sensitive data and use it for blackmail or other malicious purposes. In some cases, malware attacks prove to be so devastating to companies that owners are forced to shut down their businesses altogether.

Besides security and privacy, a VPN could help you to bypass implemented censoring or geo-restrictions. For example, people in China are not allowed to view regular internet websites, so the use of a VPN is exceptionally prevalent. This helps to battle government oppression when it comes to freedom of speech and information filtering.

If you live in the UK and want to watch Netflix dedicated for the USA viewers (yes, TV series that can be viewed vary based on geo-location due to copyright laws), a VPN can help you with that as well. When signing up for the service, you are identified as a customer coming from a particular country, such as the UK, so you can only access libraries dedicated to this geographical location.

Private Internet Access VPNPrivate Internet Access VPN allows you to connect to more than 3,300 different servers across 31 countries

When employing VPN tools like Private Internet Access, you can bypass these restrictions and view content from most popular providers, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Amazon Prime Video and many others. Note that some services like Apple+ and Disney+ only launched in the UK recently – prior to that, you could only access them via a VPN.

Download Private Internet Access for your security and safety online right now.

Choose Private Internet Access for private browsing and enhanced security during COVID-19 pandemic

There are hundreds of VPN clients around, each offering different perks and a different number of services, as well as different data collection rules. That being said, some providers fail to fulfil the functionality of a VPN miserably and track users' web data for financial gain, sharing it with third parties.[5] Yes – even after paying for the service, you hide your identity from ISPs and other parties, all while exposing this data to your VPN provider (note that this behaviour is more prevalent among free VPN providers). Never choose those.

Private Internet Access VPN is one of the leading providers that does not track you, so you can be assured that your online time is private at all times. Besides, the company provides transparency reports that show everybody what requests are made from the authorities for data exfoliation. So, nothing is hidden from the users.

When using PIA, you could connect to 3,351+ servers in 31 countries for ultimate anonymity, all by simply clicking on a Kill Switch button, which is also very reliable – it would not randomly connect or disconnect you. Besides, Private Internet Access VPN will allow you to connect to 10 different devices simultaneously – you can share it with your household members and employ it on your mobile phone for security.

Private Internet Access VPN featuresWith Private Internet Access VPN, you can connect to peer-to-peer networks, bypass geo-restrictions, etc.

If you are not entirely sure if you are willing to pay for Private Internet Access VPN subscription, you should be delighted to know that there is a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Therefore, if you are dissatisfied with the product, you will never have to lose a penny. Get Private Internet Access right now!

About the author
Gabriel E. Hall
Gabriel E. Hall - Passionate virus researcher

Contact Gabriel E. Hall
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