When was the last time you traveled overseas? The excitement of packing your bags, getting your passport ready, and stepping onto a plane that’s about to take you to another country is incredible. Unfortunately, though, the Covid-19 pandemic has put a pause on all of those plans, and many people were upset about their holiday plans being ruined. Fast forward and we now have the opportunity to travel once again, and everyone is taking advantage of this window before we hit any further uncertainty in the future.
Airports all around the world are crawling with tourists, business people, and visitors who are flying to different countries. Most of these people are focused on what they need to do on their travels, whether that’s sightseeing, attending a business meeting, or seeing friends and family. However, what they often overlook is the biggest threat that they face when traveling abroad — it’s not a tourist scam or a pickpocketer. The real threat that you need to be aware of is much greater and far more dangerous than you could ever imagine — it’s cybercrime.
Cybercrime is everywhere, and it’s on the rise. However, your devices are more at risk if you’re traveling abroad, and you need to make sure that you’re keeping them protected at all times using a virtual private network (VPN). This cybersecurity tool will ensure that your devices are always safe and secure. But, you should know that the best VPNs for traveling come with some additional benefits that will make your life a lot easier when you travel overseas! Keep reading to find out more about VPNs and why they are the ultimate travel tool that you need to install on your device today!
As exciting as it might be to travel overseas, these trips can put your devices at risk! Going overseas requires you to find WiFi because your mobile data won’t work in a foreign country — and the roaming costs involved when traveling make it impossible to use your smartphone to access the internet overseas.
The best solution is public WiFi hotspots because they are frequently found at airports, hotels, and restaurants. These hotspots are becoming more and more popular and these days you can even find them at bus stops in some places. It’s a quick, easy, and cheap way to get connected to the internet and check your emails, upload some photos to your social media profile, or even just check your maps to see where your next destination is.
As convenient as these WiFi hotspots are, they come at a cost as they usually use unsecured networks. These unsecured networks allow anyone to connect to the same hotspot, and it also means that your devices are at risk if a skilled cybercriminal is lurking on the same network.
Hackers can listen in on your devices as they send and receive data through the internet, allowing them to steal critical information such as your banking details, your login credentials, and even your personal information. If a hacker isn’t going to use this information for malicious purposes, they’re going to sell it on the dark web to other criminals who could use it for even worse crimes such as identity theft and fraud. Using an unsecured network is a huge risk with a very small reward because of the prospect of having this digital eavesdropping technique used against you.
Luckily though, there is a way that you can protect your devices against this devastating cyber attack. All you need is a handy cybersecurity tool that will encrypt your internet connection and keep cybercriminals at bay.
The cybersecurity tool in question is a virtual private network, also known as a VPN for short. This powerful tool can encrypt your internet connection which allows you to browse the web anonymously. While your VPN is active, no one can monitor your internet traffic or keep a record of your browsing history. This means that hackers also can’t listen in on your device as it sends and receives data through an unsecured network. VPNs are so powerful that they will even mask your activity from any government surveillance, so a mere hacker at a local coffee shop doesn’t stand a chance against a premium VPN!
VPNs also can hide your real location from any websites that you visit. They can do this by masking your IP address, which is a unique string of numbers that is used to identify your device on the internet. While hiding your IP address, you can connect to a server in a different city or country around the world. By connecting to one of these secure global servers you can trick websites into thinking that you’re accessing them from elsewhere.
This is a neat little trick that VPNs can do, but you might be asking yourself: “what’s the point of it?” Well, aside from giving you more privacy by hiding your real geographic location, you can get several benefits from changing your device’s virtual location.
For one, you can bypass geo-blocking restrictions that prevent you from accessing specific websites and content depending on your location. For example, Netflix will hide some content from users that are not licensed to be streamed in their country. So, if you connect to a server in the United States, you can find new movies and TV shows on Netflix. You can also access sports and entertainment platforms such as Sky Sports and ESPN while you travel abroad.
Some countries also use strict internet censorship laws that prevent you from accessing specific content while you’re within their borders. Some countries are so strict that they even block social media platforms and some Google services! If you want to regain access to these websites you can use a premium VPN.
Finally, a VPN can also help you before you even get on the plane! Websites that allow you to book flights and accommodation will inflate their prices based on your location. If you’re in a first-world country you’ll pay more. That’s because these countries have stronger currencies and their residents have more disposable income, which means that the websites can use a higher profit margin but still generate sales. Try connecting to a VPN server in a third-world country to see how the prices change!
If you’re going to install a VPN on your device you need to make sure that you’re using a premium VPN. It might be tempting to use a free VPN, but they come with so many drawbacks and headaches that you’ll have a hard time using it.
If you’re using a free VPN you will have to deal with slower connection speeds, intrusive ads, daily bandwidth limitations, fewer global servers to choose from, and several other frustrating factors. You won’t be dealing with any of these issues if you use a premium VPN, so make sure you get it right from the start!
Premium VPNs are extremely affordable and have cheap subscription fees. They’ll keep you safe on your travels, and they can even save you some money before your trip begins!
