Tag: #cybersecurity

Hybrid working causes new cybersecurity concerns among Irish business according to Dell Technologies survey

A new survey by Dell Technologies has found that 69 per cent of businesses in Ireland believe hybrid working arrangements will increase the chances of a cyberattack or incident. Amid the evolving world of work, a vast majority of businesses surveyed (91 per cent) took steps to enhance data protection in the past 12 months.

The latest ‘Cyber Resilience Survey’ from Dell, in partnership with the Executive Institute, seeks to understand business leaders’ changing attitudes towards cybersecurity and the steps taken by Irish businesses to enhance their cyber resilience in a data-driven era.

The survey of 113 business leaders in Ireland shows cyber resilience is now a priority, with 91 per cent of organisations recognising its importance at the senior leadership level. Yet, a majority (57 per cent) don’t know how to react in the event of a ransomware attack.

Despite the growing attention placed on cybersecurity by leaders, the Cyber Resilience Survey reveals a knowledge gap in the data protection options open to Irish businesses. Sixty-four per cent of business leaders say they are not sure their organisations have the capability to isolate or “air gap” critical data in the event of ransomware attack.

Moreover, only 28 per cent say they have a well-defined incident response strategy in response to an attack, with less than a third (29 per cent) saying they would restore the data lost from a standard back-up solution.

Looking to the future, a vast majority of respondents (92 per cent) agree that enhancing their organisation’s cyber resilience is important to ensuring the success of their digital transformation plans.

Fifty-five per cent of those surveyed identified the ever-growing number of cyberattacks as the main barrier to enhancing their cyber resilience followed by outdated technology (20 per cent), insufficient in-house cyber skills (16 per cent) and upfront investment (12 per cent).

Commenting on the results of the survey, Jason Ward, Vice President and Managing Director, Dell Technologies Ireland, said: “Our team of cyber experts at Dell Technologies help organisations across Ireland build a resilient infrastructure where business critical data can be placed in a cyber vault that’s inaccessible to cyber criminals.

 “As we look towards a data-driven future, prioritising cybersecurity is critical to ensuring that businesses and organisations are better prepared, not just to survive a cyberattack, but to thrive. Their business resilience is now directly tied to their cyber resilience.”

Conor Morris, Managing Director of the Executive Institute, said: “The results of the survey highlight the increasing importance of cybersecurity for our members. As we enter a hybrid world of work, having a cyber resilience plan is vital in dealing with the challenges and opportunities of this post-pandemic environment.”

Cyber attacks soar yet Pandemic tops Irish business fears

The frequency of cyber attacks in Ireland increased by 26% year-on-year – according to the latest Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report; with 49% of businesses saying they suffered a cyber attack in the past 12 months, compared to 39% in the prior year. Yet while 87% of businesses across the world see cyber as the number one threat to their financial health, Ireland stands alone, with the pandemic remaining the key business concern in contrast to other countries surveyed.

Globally, the seriousness of the cyber threat is not underestimated, with one in five (20%) of businesses across eight countries saying that a cyber attack almost rendered them insolvent – an increase of almost a quarter (24%) compared to the previous year. However, there is a huge gulf in perception between those who have actually suffered an attack and those who have not. More than half of cyber attack victims (55%) see cyber as an area of high risk; whereas amongst companies which have not yet suffered an attack, the figure is just 36%.

Now in its sixth year, the Hiscox Cyber Readiness Report – www.hiscoxgroup.com/cyber-readiness –  surveyed over 5,181 professionals responsible for their company’s cyber security strategy across eight countries: the US, UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and more than 200 from Ireland.

The report’s other key findings include:

  • More than three out of five respondents (62%) agree that their business was more vulnerable to an attack as a result of employees working from home. This rose to 69% in companies who employed more than 250 people.
  • Average cyber security spending per company is up 60% in the past year to €4.8 million; an increase of 250% since 2019.
  • Adoption of cyber insurance is highest in the financial services industry, where 74% of companies have cover, either through a standalone policy or as part of a wider insurance policy.
  • Irish businesses paid out ransoms more regularly than the rest, with 25% paying five times or more to recover data.
  • Irish companies reported some of the lowest average ransom costs in the study: €12,600 ransom payments and €9,900 recovery costs. The single largest ransom paid in Ireland in 2021 was €42,693.
  • The most common method of entry for Irish ransomware were unpatched servers (65%) – this was far more common in Ireland than in any other country.

Richard O’Dwyer, Managing Director at Hiscox Ireland, commented: “The threat of insolvency for many in Ireland is very real given the increasing costs of an attack – the median cost of an attack here has risen sharply, by nearly a third, to just over €15,300, and for some of the worst hit businesses costs topped €4.5million. Business owners will have spent years growing and investing in their business, but one cyber attack could reduce what they have built to financial rubble.

“Remote working is seen as a serious risk and this model of work is not going away any time soon. It has impacted the volume of cyber attacks as cyber criminals gain access via cloud servers, so it is vital that businesses take the necessary steps to protect themselves against the complexity and speed of cyber attacks. In particular, the success cyber criminals continue to have in breaching systems via the use of phishing emails means one of the most effective defences a business can have is continuing to raise staff awareness of the risks.”

Irish Advantage – Ireland’s opportunity to becoming a global leader in cyber security by 2030

A recent report conducted by Cyber Ireland and Cyber Skills, which is the first of its kind in Ireland, has found that there is an opportunity to position Ireland as a global leader in cyber security and to grow the workforce to over 17,000 by 2030.   These are among the findings of the report which identified 489 cyber security companies operating across Ireland that employ cyber security teams.

Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement, eGovernment and Circular Economy, Mr Ossian Smyth, addressed the report “There have been several significant cyber security incidents in the past number of years, including the incident affecting the HSE in May of last year. I welcome the collaboration between Cyber Ireland and Cyber Skills on The State of the Cyber Security Sector report in Ireland. These findings will be key in developing our ambitious targets to support future growth and development of the cyber security sector in the years ahead.”

Cluster Manager of Cyber Ireland, Dr Eoin Byrne stated “This report shows the size and scale of the cyber security sector, critical to our economy and society, which employs 7,300 professionals and contributes €1.1bn in Gross Value Added (GVA) per annum. Cyber security is a rapidly growing industry, and we have the potential in Ireland to grow this industry to 17,000 jobs and €2.5bn in annual GVA by 2030, with the right business supports and measures.”

While the findings of the report confirmed that 83% of businesses expect their cyber security team to grow over the next twelve months, 61% have noted a recruitment, training and retention issue, such as a lack of candidates in the labour market with the appropriate skill level (41%),  lack of non-technical skills (22%), or unaffordable salaries (21%). Access to training and education is essential in the industry to ensure demand for skills does not outweigh supply.

Professor Donna O’Shea, Chair of Cybersecurity at Munster Technological University (MTU), added “The opportunity for Ireland to grow and develop the cyber security sector to 17,000 professionals, is dependent on a supply of suitably qualified individuals. The HEA Cyber Skills initiative aims to address the challenge of talent and skills, by reducing barriers to participation in the industry, upskilling and reskilling professionals making them industry ready upon completion of their courses. This is done with expertise drawn from top industry leaders and collaboration within the scientific community”

Investment in cyber security firms hit record levels in 2021 of over $20b globally, and over the past 5 years 20 Irish cyber security firms raised over €110m in external investment to fund expansion and growth in operations.  However, it was found that 26% of businesses that responded have faced issues with raising or securing finance. Quick access to investors is essential for funding, development, competition, connections & access to markets and Irish cyber security start-ups require this funding to scale their business rapidly to meet the demands of the market.

Creative Gambling Strategies to up your Game

A subset of casino players does not see betting as a hobby. These people take casino playing as a profession because it helps sustain them. For other casino players, all that’s needed is one big payout. Thus, there have been several searches on the internet about the best gambling strategies that allow players to make lots of money.

Casino operators like Erik King offer bonuses and free spins to attract new players. To retain casino players, many online casinos offer great benefits to new players who can become returning players. The needs of casino players and casino operators meet in the middle.

This article will reveal the most creative gambling strategies to allow you to get maximum winnings.

 

Top Casino-Playing Tactics to up your Game

Here are gambling tricks to up your game:

  • Always Pick up the Free Spins

Most of the online casinos available today offer free spins to new players. This process allows a newbie to get acclimatized to a typical casino environment. When you start with a new game and don’t like it, you can use free spins on another one.

Players like to stake real money in a game they believe they can win. With free spins, new players can get settled into the feel of the game. This way, they become used to it.

You’d win more after playing casino games with free spins and switching to real money. Playing so many times at first would allow you to create your strategy.

  • Select the Best Games

You need to do proper research on an online casino game before you stake real money. The first step to achieving this is to check out hacks that intermediate and experts have used on those games.

You also need to know the number of games offered, the types of bonuses (and the conditions accompanying them), and the odds. This knowledge will allow you to make better decisions on the games you’d prefer to stake money.

Another factor that needs consideration is knowing how the game performs on that particular casino website. You can do this by searching for the opinions of players that have played that particular game in your required online casino.

  • Understand the Charge System

The different payment systems in an online casino attract various charges. You’d not want to become shocked at the charges when you get your winnings. Thus, understanding the charging system in an online casino should be a primary requirement.

For example, the charge percentage is usually quite high when you choose the bank transfer option. This isn’t the fault of the online casino website. The fact is that conventional banks typically try to take a big cut off the casino operator and the casino player.

There are two options you can use to avoid high bank charges. The first is an online wallet. The charge with this option is lower than a bank transfer. The second is a cryptocurrency wallet. With this option, you could experience zero fees on withdrawals. Typically, using the cryptocurrency option offers significantly lower charges.

Cryptocurrency also comes with a significant advantage which is increased cybersecurity on payments

  • Risk Management

Practicing risk management is key to winning money consistently in casinos. It is highly unlikely that professional casino players utilize no risk management strategy.

The first step to risk management is depositing an amount you can afford to lose. You need to decide that if you lose all your money, you won’t be depositing another amount to offset the loss.

Second, every time you want to take a bet, stick with a particular percentage of your total deposit. For instance, if you have a total of $2000 in your online casino account, stake 5% of your deposit for each bet. That equals $100. This protects you against very large losses.

Imagine if you staked $1000 on each game. Losing half your deposit in a single game would destabilize you. Trying to make back the money would push you into making another $1000 bet. If another loss occurs, you lose your entire deposit.

You’ll want to keep track of all your winnings made in the casino. That way, you’d be sure that you’ve aggregated a profit or loss.

 

Conclusion

Every day, casino players are constantly searching for ways to make more money from betting. The best casino-playing tactics include risk management, understanding the fee system, selecting the best games, and using free spins to create a gaming strategy.

Nearly 90,000 Irish SMEs have had data stolen in the last year

Datapac, Ireland’s leading technology solutions and services provider, today announces the results of a new survey which found that an estimated 89,744* SMEs (31%) in Ireland have had data stolen in the last 12 months. Furthermore, the research revealed that over two fifths (41%) of small and medium-sized businesses have permanently lost critical data within the same timeframe.

The survey of 150 SME business owners in Ireland was carried out by Censuswide in association with Datapac and cybersecurity and backup specialist, Datto, during February 2022.

The research shows 37% of Irish SMEs experienced a known cyberattack in the last year. Looking ahead, 86% of SME business owners are concerned that they will become a cybercrime target. However, almost a quarter (23%) admit that they are not at all prepared to defend themselves against cybercrime.

Evolving Threat Environment

The years of the Covid-19 pandemic witnessed rapid digital transformations across many organisations, largely to help facilitate new remote and hybrid working environments. 56% of businesses reported a reliance on cloud storage for some or all of their data storage needs.

When asked about the impacts of permanently losing data, over a quarter (27%) believe they would go out of business. SME owners also said the loss of critical data would impede their business growth (38%), damage their professional reputation (35%), lead to regulatory consequences (32%), contribute to employee attrition (31%) and result in the loss of some of their customers (29%).

Despite the prevalence of cybercrime and data loss, just 5% of Irish SMEs back up their data in real-time, with nearly three quarters (72%) reporting that their data backup frequency is once per week or less. The research shows around a fifth (21%) of small businesses don’t have a tested Disaster Recovery (DR) plan in place in the event of data theft or loss. In addition, 43% admitted they don’t have a secure copy of their data held offsite.

83% state that they have plans to increase their level of outsourced IT to a Managed Service Provider (MSP) over the coming year. Nearly a third (32%) attribute this decision to a need to address cybersecurity shortcomings in the face of the cybercrime risk, while 36% cited the need to access a wider range of expert IT skills and knowledge.

Commenting on the survey results, Karen O’Connor, General Manager, Datapac said:

“Our survey has highlighted the unprecedented scale of cybercrime for small and medium-sized businesses in Ireland today. With over 4 in 10 of all Irish SMEs permanently losing mission-critical data over the past year and almost a third having data stolen, this can have significant and damaging repercussions for these businesses and their customers.

 “The vast majority of business owners are concerned about being a cybercrime target, yet many still don’t seem to be taking the necessary steps to improve their protection. While threat detection and prevention are important parts of the cybersecurity puzzle, they don’t solve it alone. Data backup is a vital component and one that shouldn’t be overlooked. With almost three quarters of firms only backing up their data weekly or even less, this presents a huge challenge for businesses to maintain continuity after an incident.

 “In the likely event of a cyberattack, a robust backup and business continuity solution is the last line of defence and enables most businesses to recover quickly from business-critical data loss. Put simply, data cannot be recovered if it isn’t backed up effectively to begin with.”

Nicholas O’ Donovan, Sales Manager, Datto Ireland, said:

“The pandemic has permanently changed the way many organisations work, fundamentally altering where data is created and stored. A more dispersed workforce creates a larger network threat perimeter, which increases the risk of cyberattack.

Wherever the data lives, be it in an on-premises server or in the cloud, it needs to be backed up with the highest frequency possible in a way that allows instant restoration for when disaster strikes.”

Only a third of CIOs cite cyber-risk mitigation as a performance measure

While 94% of CIOs acknowledge some form of serious threat over the next 12 months, only 27% list business continuity and resilience as a top-three priority during the next 12 months and barely a third cite risk mitigation as a measure of performance. These findings come from the 2021 Global CIO Survey from Logicalis, a global provider of IT solutions.  

 The study which surveyed 1,000 CIOs from around the world, finds that nearly half of respondents (47%) see data breaches as the biggest risk to their organisation (an increase of 6% from last year). Following data breaches, CIOs state malware and ransomware (39%) as other key areas of concern. 

 The perceived risk of a data breach is likely to have risen due to the increase in borderless workforces as employees continue to work from home or adopt hybrid working practices. When they occur, data breaches can lead to a range of issues from loss of business-critical data and stalled business growth, and in the most serious cases – the complete shutdown of a business. 

 Less than a third of CIOs (30%) cite lack of staff awareness as a security issue, down from 50% last year. This perceived improvement in staff awareness is due in part to an emphasised investment in additional training and technology measures to mitigate security risks. In fact, over 50% of CIOs state their organisations invested in employee security training this year, likely to help prevent data breaches originating from employee activity.  

 Other areas of investment include:  

·         Security technology – 66%  

·         Business continuity planning – 40%  

·         Third-party support through expert MSPs– 35% 

 

However, CIOs still feel their organisations have a long way to go in investing in comprehensive security measures. Despite the rapidly increasing cybersecurity risks, more than half of businesses (55%) have yet to adopt a cyber-attack recovery plan.  

 Mark Benson, CTO of Logicalis UKI, said: “The pandemic led to a rapid shift to remote business frameworks and forced many organisations to set up temporary network security solutions in reaction to the larger cyber threat surface. One key element of the hybrid working structure is making sure everything stays secure—a task that is challenging in a decentralised workspace. Many measures have been implemented, but more action is needed to secure remote workers and increase business resilience. Failure to prepare is preparing to fail. Adopting a holistic cybersecurity plan ensures businesses are prepared for cyber-attacks and can quickly recover and resume critically affected systems and technologies. With a comprehensive plan, created with advice from a trusted partner, companies can rest assured, knowing they’re protected.” 

 For more information, and to explore additional key findings from the 2021 Logicalis Global CIO Survey, visit here. 

Remote workers suffer ‘digital anxiety’ over cyber security fears.

Working from home has spiked since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in March of 2020. This effort to reduce health risks may have limited the spread of the virus, but according to a new analysis by cyber security provider F-Secure, it may also have helped increase digital anxiety for those working remotely.

In a recent survey, 67% of internet users who work from home reported they increasingly worry about their online security and privacy even if nothing is wrong, compared to 58% of other users.

Senior Lecturer in Cyberpsychology at Nottingham Trent University Dr. Lee Hadlington, who’s research interests include employees’ adherence to workplace cyber security practices, said it makes sense that people’s sudden shift to telecommuting increased their anxieties about online threats.

“It is not surprising that individuals have started to worry more about cyber security, particularly when working from home. Many individuals were thrust into the ‘new normal’ of home working with very little preparation, training, or equipment. Let’s not forget, for most individuals in a workplace environment, cyber security is generally a second thought, and is usually something that is seen as the responsibility of someone else in the company. This, coupled with the fact that many home workers have less than perfect home working environments (e.g. desks in busy parts of the house, limited/poor internet connection, limited working knowledge of internet-based technology), means that these cyber security fears could be symptomatic of a combination of factors,” he said.

While worries about online security and privacy were prevalent among all survey respondents, remote workers reported elevated concerns about a myriad of issues, including:

  • 65% of those who work from home said the internet is becoming a more dangerous place, compared to 54% of other respondents.

  • 63% of remote workers said concerns about data privacy have changed how they use the internet, compared to 48% of other respondents.

  • 71% of remote workers said they worry that new internet connected devices—such as wearables and connected home appliances—could lead to a violation of their privacy, compared to 64% of non-remote workers.

  • 70% of remote workers felt increasingly uncomfortable connecting to public WiFi due to security risks compared to 63% of other respondents.

“Working from home could also have meant that individuals may have had more time to focus on other aspects of their working life and spent more time engaging in self-reflection and aspects of self-improvement; this could have included a re-assessment of cyber risks in their daily lives. The pandemic also meant people were isolated, with many turned to the one thing they did have access to – the Internet. Of course, spending more time engaged in one activity could lead to an increase in perceptions of risk, particularly when people are being subjected to negative news stories about cyber security related issues,” Dr. Hadlington explained.

According to F-Secure Security Consultant Tom Gaffney, managing security while working remotely takes technical security measures that protect data and devices, but also steps to keep people’s personal and professional lives separate.

“Steps everyone can take to secure themselves and their privacy when they work from home include updating their devices and software, ensuring their personal devices have security software installed, and some other basic infosec measures,” said Gaffney. “But keeping your personal and professional online activities separate from one another may be as important as any of these tips. Restricting what sort of things you do on each device and during which times can be an essential way to ease digital anxiety.”

To find out more about how reduce digital anxiety when working from home, check out https://blog.f-secure.com/digital-anxiety/.

2022 IT budgets to increase for 70% of Irish organisations

Logicalis Ireland, the IT Solutions and Managed Services provider, today reveals the findings of a survey which found that IT budgets for the coming year will increase for 70% of Irish organisations to account for better security, back-up and disaster recovery solutions.

The research – conducted by TechCentral and commissioned by Logicalis Ireland in association with IBM – involved more than 100 IT decision-makers in Ireland and found that during the pandemic, exposure to cyberthreats increased for more than three quarters of organisations (76%).

It also revealed that more than a quarter (28%) of Irish organisations experienced a cyberattack last year. Of those which were attacked, 40% were targeted by malware and 34% were targeted by phishing.

Furthermore, 29% of these organisations took about a week to recover from same. Some 27% took about a month, while recovery is ongoing for 24%.

On a more positive note, 88% of those surveyed said high-profile incidents had made company management more aware of threats to their organisation. Moreover, 70% of IT decision-makers were satisfied with their security policies and 75% agreed their backup and disaster recovery tools were fit for purpose.

In terms of response, over half (57%) strongly agreed it was a waste of time to negotiate with hackers. A similar number (59%) strongly disagreed that IT departments should keep a bitcoin fund for dealing with ransomware attacks.

As for the most popular measures for protecting data, multi-cloud solutions (66%) came out top. Single cloud solutions (31%) and off-premise physical backup (22%) finished off the top three measures.

Patrick Jordan, Chief Revenue Officer for Logicalis UK & Ireland, commented: “It has been a time of unprecedented change for Irish businesses. As workforces and operations became remote, the threat landscape shifted and arguably expanded with more locations to cover, more devices to protect and more risks to combat.

“This led to an intensification of the focus – and pressure – on technology solutions and IT support within organisations. This will only continue as we settle into the new way of hybrid working and invest in the tools to not only support but secure this. Businesses need to embrace this fully if they want to successfully architect change, safeguard operations, empower people and drive growth.”

Nathan Cullen, Ecosystem Leader, IBM, added: “It’s not just about identifying risks and protecting systems, companies need to have the means to respond effectively and quickly in the case of an attack or breach. They need to have the tools that enable prevention but also backup and recovery. Only then can they be cyber resilient and maintain business continuity. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is to be prepared for the worst-case scenario and always be ready to adapt.”

#CyberSecMonth 2021 – Four common mistakes people make online that could put their money at risk #ThinkB4UClick

A recent study by Uswitch found that Brits are spending a whopping 384 minutes (6.4 hours) using the internet every day, yet even those who are ‘tech savvy’ are unaware of the extent to which their browsing and social media activity is tracked. Not only is this intrusive, extensive cross-platform tracking also makes it easier for cyber criminals to access personal information.

While most people are aware that there are risks associated with browsing the web, many are unaware of how their data is used, and of the severity of those associated risks.

Tom Gaffney, Security Consultant at F-Secure flags four common mistakes that even tech savvy people are making online, and provides top tips on how they can keep themselves safe.

Mistake 1: Using one browser for everything.

Tip: Most people use only one browser, whether that’s Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc, for all their online activity. However, Tom recommends using at least two – one for work and online banking and one for personal use – as not only will this be beneficial to privacy and security, but it will also give you separation in what you’re browsing and what you’re doing.

“Using separate browsers for casual browsing vs. ‘serious stuff’ like accessing online banking hugely minimises the risk of hackers getting to those sensitive accounts,” says Tom, “I personally never use the same browser to read news articles and browse social media as I would for online banking; casual browsing is generally how vulnerability issues arise — we click links that pique our interest without a second thought and hackers know this. Having a dedicated ‘serious’ browser enables you to shift your mindset into protection mode, you’re less likely to make risky decisions which could compromise your accounts when using your “serious-stuff browser”.”    

Mistake 2: Ignoring important security settings

Tip: Despite spending more time with their apps and web-browser, most of us are unaware of the security and privacy settings. We should all spend just a few minutes to check and configure security settings within our browser to enable safer internet surfing. Regardless of which browser you use (Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome or Firefox), each gives you options to disable cookies and block security risks such as malware that can sneak in through infected pop-ups, plug-ins and extensions, compromising your privacy.

Default browser settings leave your data exposed so at a minimum Tom advises you should:

  • Disable pop-ups and redirections as cyber criminals could use these to spread malicious software.
  • Don’t allow automatic downloads as these could contain malware and viruses. Ask to be prompted before downloading anything.
  • Set your browser to ask permission before accessing your location, camera and microphone.
  • Turn on “Send a do not track request” to help prevent websites from tracking you
  • Think carefully before allowing browsers to save passwords as although it’s convenient it creates a security risk. Laptops and mobiles can fall into the wrong hands, it doesn’t take much for a hacker to find the stored password information.

Mistake 3: Not clearing cookies in your browser  

Tip: Cookie banners pop-up every time we visit a website and most of us will click ‘accept’ without thinking. Cookies are small files that websites send to your device that the sites then use to monitor you and remember certain information about you i.e. what’s in your shopping cart, or your login information. Basically, cookies track you as you browse.

There are several reasons why Tom recommends deleting cookies such as:

  • Over time you could accumulate a lot of cookies which will slow your browser down
  • Cookies store your personal information and enable websites to track and follow you around the web, developing a profile of your online habits. In doing so they build a mosaic which maps your interests, identity, age, location, religious beliefs and even sexual identity. While this is used for providing you with targeted ads, this data is sold between organizations and has a more insidious target of knowing everything about you.

“Most browsers make it straightforward to view and delete cookies,” says Tom, “simply go to browser settings and look for the privacy or security section. It’s also worth noting that all browsers have a setting which allows you to browse the web anonymously, which you should have on by default. This will ensure that less of your personal information is shared with data brokers.”

Mistake 4: Not using a VPN

Tip: Even the most secure browser with the most advanced settings can’t always keep your browsing activities safe or private which is why you should consider a VPN such as F-Secure FREEDOME.

“VPNs offer you complete privacy for your activities online,” says Tom, “no one will be able to track you or see what you are doing, not even your Internet Service Provider. They can block harmful websites and hacking attempts, encrypt data to protect your real IP address and online traffic and protect you even when you’re using public Wi-Fi.”

 

Last word: Overall, it’s important that you exercise common sense when using the internet. Many organizations have made the web a simpler place to surf and shop with one-click purchasing. Sometimes we actually need to slow down, especially when shopping, banking or paying bills to allow our minds to engage critically.  At the very least, make sure you update your browser regularly as using old software can provide a way for hackers to break into networks. Updates will address any security issues and help your browser run better.